


Treacherous

by spiritalibi



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: F/M, Gen, Lillie x hau, Other, Pokemon Fanfiction, SnowLilyShipping, lonashipping, mahinashipping, moon x gladion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-08 21:04:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 34,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14702286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiritalibi/pseuds/spiritalibi
Summary: Moon has recently moved to the Alola region, and has began her Island Challenge.  She has met up with friends Lillie and Hau, along with a few mysterious characters, and this story recalls their adventures.





	1. It isn't in my Blood

            Ah, the Alola Region, a tropical archipelago island nation located east of Kanto. Its beautiful coastlines and temperate climate make for a popular tourist destination and a laid-back style of living.  Alola is made up of four main islands and one artificial island.  Each of the main islands have two guardians, one being a legendary Pokémon called a Tapu, and the other is called a Kahuna.  There is Melemele Island, with Tapu Koko and Kahuna Hala as its protectors, and Akala Island, with Tapu Lele and Kahuna Olivia as its guardians.  Third we have Ula’Ula Island, with Tapu Bulu and Kahuna Nanu in charge of defending it, and last but not least, there is Poni Island, with Tapu Fini and Kahuna Hapu to guard.  It is a mystery why the Kahunas are chosen, and all we know is that they are hand-picked by the Tapus.   

            Due to Alola’s seclusion from the other regions, the island nation is rich with culture and tradition.  Instead of taking on the gym challenges like in the other regions, Alolan children take part in the Island Challenge.  Island challengers travel throughout the islands, participating in trials set up by captains.  Trials typically consist of a task designed by the trial captains, as well as a battle with a totem Pokémon.  After finally clearing each trial and beating all of the Kahunas, island challengers are permitted to challenge the newly-constructed Alolan Pokémon League.  While Pokémon that are native to the Alolan region are very rare in other regions, Alola is also home to regional variants that were first discovered in the region.  Regional variants are Pokémon that are typically native to other regions but have adapted to the climates of their current region.   

            There are a few head researchers who live and work in the region.  The first is Professor Kukui, head Pokémon professor, who focuses his work on Pokémon attacks.  Kukui has also been headlining the construction and facilitation of the Pokémon League.  Professor Burnet is a researcher who focuses on studying Pokémon from other dimensions. Alola also houses professor Samson Oak, principal of the Alola Pokémon Trainer School, who also studies Totem Pokémon and regional variants.  The last notable regional scientist is Lusamine, president of the highly-acclaimed Aether Foundation.  The Aether Foundation is a non-profit organization that specializes in the rehabilitation of injured Pokémon. Lusamine and her team, Wicke and Faba, also work with Professor Burnet in researching Pokémon from other dimensions, known in Alola as Ultra Beasts.  Not much is known about these beasts, but more information is being uncovered as we speak.                      

 

            Hi, my name is Moon, and my mom and I recently moved to the Alola region from Kanto.  Since coming here, I met Professor Kukui, who gave me my first Pokémon, a grass-type named Rowlett.  After that, I made the choice to begin my Island Challenge.  During my challenge, I have made many new friends that have made me feel super-welcome here, two in particular.  The first is a trainer and trial-goer named Hau, the happy-go-lucky grandson of Kahuna Hala.  The second is a girl my age named Lillie.  Lillie and I met in quite a questionable circumstance.  On the first day of my island challenge, I was doing some training on the outskirts of Iki town, near my home, when I saw a girl walking towards a bridge with a small, strange-looking Pokémon.  The Pokémon made a break for the bridge, but before the girl could go and fetch it, a flock of Spearow attacked it.  Scared half-to-death, the girl froze, and I ran into action.  I grabbed the strange Pokémon to protect from the Spearow, and as we made contact, the bridge broke.  I thought that this was going to be it, but Tapu Koko came to my rescue and brought me back to the solid ground that Lillie was standing on.  In the process, I received what is known as a Z-ring from the Island Guardian.  From that moment on, Lillie and I have been basically inseparable. 

            Since then, Lillie, Hau, and I have been traveling the Islands of Alola- Hau and I to complete our trials, and Lillie to find out more information about the strange Pokémon that she carries, a Cosmog that we coined Nebby.  Along the way, we have befriended the trial captains, and fought the notorious Team Skull on occasion, none of which have proven to be much of a challenge- aside from their admin, Plumeria, and their enforcer, Gladion, a solemn boy dressed in black, who ambushed Hau and I on Akala Island. After witnessing Hau lose to the boy, he made a mistake of battling me.  I ended up winning of course, but he did turn out to be quite the formidable opponent.  He has this really strong, mysterious Pokémon with a helmet.  It looks like a bunch of different Pokémon pasted together, and he calls it Null.  He told us with a strangely familiar spark in his green eyes that he was battling to become stronger with his partner, and that he didn’t really care that much to be a member of Team Skull.  There was something indescribable about him that I noticed as he walked away, something intriguing- like maybe deep down he isn’t all that bad and edgy as the facade that he puts on. 

            As we continued to clear our Akala trials, Hau and I visited the Aether Paradise, where we met the president and her team, and learned a little about the research that they are doing on Ultra Beasts.  We even met one, and I battled it!  It was incredibly strong and dangerous, but I managed to take it out in the end.  After our Aether visit, Hau and I left for Ula’Ula Island, the site of our next trials.  We grouped back up with Lillie and Professor Kukui in Malie City.  We visited Malie Garden for some training, but we were interrupted by the leader of Team Skull, Guzma.  After rudely insulting the professor, he challenged me to a battle, unbeknownst of mine and my Pokémon’s strength.  I won fairly easily, Guzma skirted away after a few choice words.  Our group then visited the Malie Library, where we met Acerola.  Acerola, a sweet-natured ghost-type trainer, is the last living member of the Alolan royal family, and a trial captain of Ula’Ula Island.  Acerola lives in the Aether House with other orphans, a satellite campus of the Aether Foundation, and the organization’s largest mainland output.  Lillie and Acerola traveled straight to the Aether House together, while Hau and I made our way through Ula’Ula.   Training on the way, we headed toward Acerola’s trial site.  Before we could make it to the location, we ran into Gladion again, causing my stomach to lurch at the sight of that piercing glare.  The mysterious trainer asked us if we knew anything about Cosmog and warned us to keep it safe no matter what, before leaving abruptly, my prior speculations proving to be true the more I interact with the boy.  After clearing the captain’s trial and returning to the Aether house, our group came to the realization that Team Skull had infiltrated the Aether House and stole a Pokémon from one of the orphans. 

            I was the first to volunteer to go and get it back, when Acerola told me I should head towards Po Town.  I made my way there, training on the way, before running into a police officer.  Once he learned that I was a trial-goer, the officer directed me to the town, and warned me to be careful of what is up ahead. So, there I headed, my fully-evolved team in tow, ready for what is likely to be one of the most difficult tasks that I’ve had to face yet. 

            Upon arrival to Po Town, I had to face a group of Skull grunts in battle. I demolished them, and they had no choice but to allow me to pass.  I continued to make my way through the ghost town, until I eventually came upon the Shady House, also known as the headquarters of Team Skull.  I battled grunt by grunt, making my way to the room at the top of the house, where I knew Guzma was waiting for me.  I finally arrived at the door to his room, of which lay inside a chance to make or break the situation that my friends and I were in. I collected myself with a few deep breaths before busting that door open. 

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The gang are aged up to young adults/late teens in this version of the story.  
> . I'm mostly pulling the plot/quotes from the OG Sun and Moon games to construct this story, but adding in Moon's lines and actions, as well as more character development and interaction.  
> I have a lonashipping playlist and the title of every chapter is going to be from a song on the playlist! I also plan on doing a sequel after this story, focusing on Moon's adventures after she becomes champion. I love this ship so much and needed an outlet to pour all of this inspiration into, so thanks so much for reading! The title of this story is based on the song Treacherous, by Taylor Swift. I think it goes perfectly with Moon/player character & Gladion. That song also reminds my of one my other favorite ships- Janie and Cabe from the Wake trilogy, so it holds a special place in my heart, and I had to make it the title! 
> 
> Song of the chapter: In my Blood by Shawn Mendes


	2. Look into my Eyes

“So, you finally made it.” The taller man said with a disgustingly dark grin on his face.  I simply spectated, a knowing, confident façade grazing my face, willing him to continue talking, allowing him to take back what he did before making a fool of himself again in battle.  “The hated boss who beats you down and beats you down and never lets up.. Yeah, big bad Guzma is here!”  He exclaimed.  Scoffing, I continued the silent treatment, trying to find out all the information that I can.  “I don’t really get you, kid, but at least this is a change of pace.  It’s not every day someone comes straight to me for a beating.”  He challenged, and this time I couldn’t keep quiet. 

“I’m not here for you.  I’m here for the Pokémon.”  I rebutted. 

“No bone to pick with me, huh?  Then it’s for Yungoos, I guess.  How sweet of you to help out a sad little girl.”  He scoffed.  “And you came all the way here for that, huh?  Can’t you just watch out for you own Pokémon and stay out of other people’s business?”  He questioned, growing angrier by the second. 

“Nope, sorry about it.  That’s just not me.  I look out for my friends when they need me.  But I suppose the big, bad Guzma wouldn’t know anything about that, would he?” I offered, maintaining the confident persona that I had adopted earlier.   

“You’re one messed up kid!  You wanna know what I do when some machine messes up?  The first thing I do is give it a nice, hard smack! I mean most of the time I smash it to pieces, but hey, what can you do?  Now let’s see if I can fix you!”  He yelled, his voice ringing throughout the house.

“You just made a huge mistake!  Lycanroc! Go!”  I yelled back, with the most strength in my voice I could muster up, sending out my Pokémon.  

“Ariados! Come out and help me teach this kid a lesson or two!” He screamed, his face growing more and more red as we continued.  

“Stealth Rock, go!”  I commanded, as my dog Pokémon sent out large daggers of rocks at my opponent’s Pokémon. 

“Infestation!”  Guzma yelled. 

“Dodge, now!”  I retorted, my quick judgement coming in handy as always. “Stone Edge, let’s go!”  I shouted, thankful for my partner’s speed.  And with that one hit, Guzma’s first Pokémon went down, and he sent out his second. 

“Golisopod!  Let’s finish this!”  He managed, a look of desperation creeping its way onto his face.  Immediately, his second Pokémon was hit with the pointed stones that Lycanroc had sent out in the previous round. 

“Lycanroc, run towards it while using Swords Dance!” I guided my Pokémon as it made its way near the opposing side. 

“Golisopod, use Razor Shell!”  Guzma tried, clearly overpowered, but hoping to at least make one hit. 

“Now, jump!”  I yelled, as my Pokémon jumped as high as it could in the confined area of the bedroom.  “Use Stone Edge, again!”  I continued as my partner used the move from the air, sending huge rocks into towards Guzma’s Pokémon.  It went down in one smooth motion as Lycanroc returned to my side.  I thanked it, praised its speed and strength, and gave it a good pat on the head before turning to my defeated opponent. 

“Yeah, yeah, I gotta admit, that was great!”  He finally muttered, before face-palming himself. “Guzma!  What is wrong with you?  “Yo! Give the pokemon back to the kid, NOW!” He aimed toward one of the grunts that were watching the battle.  “I’m gonna beat you down one of these days!  No matter whose help I need to do it…”. He scoffed, folding his arms and turning away from me in shame.  I thanked him for complying and returning the stolen Pokémon,and left before I could get myself into any more trouble. 

 

I ran into Acerola and Nanu, the police officer from before as I hurried out of Po Town.

“Moon, Uncle Nanu!”  Acerola shouted, prompting me towards her direction. 

“Hey, Acerola, here is the Yungoos that those goons stole.”  I said as I handed her the Pokeball. 

“Thanks Moon! Really!  You’re really something!”  She cheered before turning to her uncle. 

“Uncle, you’re a great police officer, aren’t you? I really hope that you’re keeping an eye on things here!  What else do you stay for, if you’re not putting a stop to Team Skull’s shenanigans?” She asked. 

“The rent’s real cheap.  No one else is crazy enough to stay this close to Team Skull, after all.”  He answered stiffly. 

“That’s what you say.  But it’s really all for the Pokémon, isn’t it?  You could depend on the Aether Foundation to look after the Pokémon that Team Skull hurts, but you stay here to look out for them, huh?” She challenged him, causing an indifferent reaction in the older man.

“Whatever you say, Acerola.  Look, you two should get out of here anyway, get to safety.” He told us with an authoritative tone to his voice.

“You’re right, Uncle.. Come on, Yungoos, let’s get you back to the Aether House!  Moon, you should come too.”  She recommended. 

So, we made our way to the house, blissfully unaware of the horrid situation that awaits us. 

 

“We’re home!  We brought Yungoos with us, too!”  Acerola chirped, excited to be back in good company.  My stomach lurched again at the sight of a familiar blonde boy, and it was only then that I noticed the troubled look on the group’s faces. 

“Wait... What’s going on?”  I demanded, looking at each person as I spoke. 

“Moon, I’m sorry! I.. I can’t even make myself smile right now.”  Hau spoke slowly as he looked down at the floor. 

“What are you talking about, Hau?”  Acerola questioned, her tone a lot calmer than my own. 

“Where’s Lillie?”  I demanded again, this time feeling more scared than angry.  Gladion just shook his head as Hau attempted to explain what had happened. 

“That Plumeria lady came back as soon as Acerola had left… I’m supposed to be a trainer!  But when it came down to it, Lillie had to protect me… Lillie, who’s not even a trainer to begin with!”  Hau managed, clearly on the verge of tears. 

“Hau, what exactly happened?”  I directed him, trying to keep the boy focused.

“Like I said.. Team Skull infiltrated the house as soon as Acerola left, like they were waiting for an opening.  They were looking for Cosmog, and Lillie bravely stepped up to defend Nebby.  Plumeria and the grunts tried to grab her, but I challenged the admin to a battle. I told her that if I win, then they have to leave.. Only I lost, and they took her.  And then Gladion showed up, looking for Lillie and Cosmog.  They took her, Moon!  I was supposed to protect her, and I failed!”  Hau explained, eyes watering. 

“Hau, you have to calm down.  We’ll figure this out.”  I tried, coaxing my friend out of this frantic state. 

“Gladion, a few questions.  First how do you know Lillie?   And, I mean, what are you even doing here?”  I asked, an edge to my voice and a glare in my eyes. 

“Look, that’s not important right now.  What’s important is that Lillie and Cosmog are gone. And you all are so useless and weak that now Cosmog is… Lillie is.. Arghh!” He groaned, hands slicking his hair back in frustration.  “I’ll just have to show you how angry you all make me!”  He exclaimed, sending out his Golbat. 

 

“Gladion, now is really not the time.  You really don’t want to do this.”  I tried to reason, but he didn’t budge. 

“Fine, Metagross, your assistance!”  I shouted, sending out my metal monster. 

“Acrobatics, go!”  Gladion commanded his partner as it headed quickly towards my Pokémon.   

“Use Zen Headbut!”  I retorted, causing both Pokémon to collide, Gladion’s falling in response.  He recalled his Pokémon, sending out his next to retaliate. 

“Sneasel, you’re turn! Use Feint Attact!”  He called. 

“Meteor Mash, Go!”  I commanded my partner, as both Pokémon collided again, causing Gladion’s to fall once again.  He scoffed, recalling it, trying his best to maintain a look of disgust, but I could see through it.  In this moment, I could see him for who he was, Lillie’s worried brother.  He must be.  They have the same determined spark in their green eyes, the same white-blonde hair, the same feigned confidence, only Gladion wears his on his sleeve as protection from the harsh world, while Lillie has only ever had to reach inside to find it.  In that moment, I felt a wave of guilt wash over me, reminding me of the memories that I have made with my precious missing friend, and I think that Gladion could see it too.  We locked eyes, both nodding as he sent out his last Pokémon, his trusted Type:Null. I recalled Metagross, thanking it for battling hard, and sent out my Passimian. 

“Crush Claw go, Null!”  Gladion directed his partner.  

“Go ahead Passimian, let it get in close. Wait for it....”  I guided my Pokémon as Null moved in close. 

“Now! Close Combat, go!”  I commanded, as my Pokémon began making quick, sharp jabs at Null’s sides, causing it to fall, making Gladion recall his final Pokémon. Passimian returned to my side and I pet it, thanking it for standing strong, before recalling it.

       

“That was wrong of me… I.. shouldn’t have dragged you into a meaningless battle like that.”  He apologized, looking at me warily. 

“You think?  We’re wasting valuable time, Gladion.  It’s time to get serious.”  I retorted, shaking my head with my eyes closed.  I could feel his glare boring to my very core. 

“But I told you both!  I told you that Cosmog would bring disaster to all of Alola!  I have to get it back from them!”  Gladion responded to my comment with haste.

“Okay, well clearly you were right, but what do we do now?  I mean they couldn’t have taken them to Po Town because I was just there.  So where could they have gone?  We can’t check everywhere!”  I challenged, assuming he wouldn’t know the next move either.

“Aether Paradise.”  He simply stated. 

“What do you mean?  Why would they be there?”  I asked, holding my chin, a confused look grazing my face.

“Just trust me, okay?  I know I haven’t exactly proven my allegiance to you guys, but Moon, I’m pretty sure you know why I feel the need to intervene.”  He proposed, confirming my prior suspicions, offering an unspoken truce between the two of us.  “We’ll leave from the ferry terminal.  You’re coming with me whether you like it or not, so the only question is, are you ready to come now or not?”  He asked, looking directly at me, and I knew I couldn’t say no even if I wanted to.

“Can I trust you two to go and save Lillie? Every time I leave, Team Skull attacks this place.  I have to protect these kids!”  Acerola pleaded with me. 

“Of course, Acerola, you can count on us.”  I comforted her. 

“What should we do?  Even if I go to the ferry terminal, too… what if I just get I you guys’ way?  What if I really am just this weak?”  Hau asked me, a worrying enough for all of us. 

“Hau, you are not weak.  You just need to have confidence in yourself and your Pokémon, and you’ll be fine.  Come with us if you want, but don’t feel obliged if you really don’t want to. You’ll never be a nuisance in my presence, I promise you that.”  I reassured him, giving him a big hug in the process.

“Thanks Moon, you’re too good of a friend to me. If I’d been stronger, then Lillie wouldn’t have…”. He trailed off.  “Well anyway, I’m ready to do whatever it takes so that we can take back our smiles and our fun adventure!  I’ll come with you guys, but I need to stop at the Pokémon Center first.  I’ll meet you guys at the ferry terminal.”  Hau explained, a new layer of confidence manifesting itself in his voice.

 

We all nodded and Gladion and I made our way to the Malie City Marina.  While we headed there, Gladion and I finally had a chance to talk. 

“I know you figured out that Lillie is my sister. I could see the realization on your face in our battle.  I don’t know if I challenged you because I wanted you to understand that or not, but you did either way, didn’t you?”  He asked me, letting his walls down in front of me, one by one.

“Yeah, I did.  I knew you were familiar, somehow, from the second I met you.  I didn’t know what it was until you sent our your Type:Null. But I also knew that you weren’t a bad guy.  From that first battle on Akala, I knew there was something… that I could trust about you. I mean.. they say the best way to get to know someone is by battling them, right?”  I stammered, not exactly sure if my feelings made sense to him. 

“Yeah, I guess they do,” He said, a light chuckle escaping his breath. 

“So what’s your story, then?  How come Lillie never mentioned you, or her family at all? And why were you working with Team Skull in the first place?”  I asked, determined to get to the bottom of this.  He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, silently telling me to take it one question at a time.  “Sorry, I just want to know what the deal is with my missing best friend.  I care about her a lot, and I know you do too. We at least have that in common.” I told him, realizing that he is not quite ready to let down _all_ of his walls for me. 

He sighed.  “I guess I should have known this was coming sooner or later.  Team Skull.. was just a side job that I took on to make a few extra bucks.  And Lillie is my little sister.  I love her to death, but I had to leave in order to get away from our mother.  She is cruel like you wouldn’t understand.  I have come to believe that Lillie has only truly just begun to realize that… About when she started to travel with you, I think. I felt- I still feel awful for leaving her behind.”  He exhaled, refusing to look anywhere but the road ahead. 

“Gladion..”  I sighed. “I didn’t know all that.  I’m so sorry.  I.. I don’t know what else to say..”  I dragged on, hoping he would continue talking. 

“It’s okay.  I wouldn’t expect you to know all of that.  Lillie didn’t even really know, like I mentioned.”  He continued to look ahead. 

“So your mother.. must be Lusamine, then, right? I mean the resemblance is uncanny. When I met her, all she could talk about was beauty and Pokémon, and how children would do best to listen to their elders. And then when I battled the Ultra Beast, she got a little carried away with it.  It… was weird, but I went with it.”  I said, continuing to connect the dots in my head. 

He inhaled sharply.  “You met her, and SAW an Ultra Beast?”  He asked, stopping to turn and look at me, green eyes wide in shock.

“Yeah, with Hau at the Aether Paradise not too long ago.  She seemed pretty normal other than being a little fanatical about the Ultra Beasts.” I recalled, wondering why he had stopped.  Gladion gripped my shoulders. 

“Look, Moon, listen, no matter what happens when we get to Aether, just promise me you won’t listen to a word my mother says. She’s crazy.  The only person in that entire organization that you can trust is Wicke.  She’s the only reason why I was able to leave Lillie behind the way I did.  She’s been more of a mom to us than our own mother ever will be.  And.. Meeting an Ultra Beast has been a lifelong goal of my mother’s.. ever since dad disappeared..”  The boy explained to me, his voice growing more urgent by the second. 

“Okay, okay.  I’m sorry.  I promise. One more thing..”  I offered as we continued down the road, coming up on Malie City. 

“What is it?”  He asked as we strolled through the city. 

“That Pokémon you have..  Type:Null, what’s the story with it?”  I asked, looking up at him.  He took a huge breath in and let it out slowly.    

“Null and I have been through a lot together. When I was little, my parents were trying to develop a really strong Pokémon that could help protect against Ultra Beasts.  They wanted to create one that could change its type, so that it would be strong against all of the beasts, no matter what types they were.  After years of calculating and planning, they were finally able to create 3 sentient beings.  They called them Type:Full, the beast killer.  During the experiment, they lost control of them.  The Pokémon were treated brutally, and I saw it with my own eyes, as a kid.  They tried to put helmets on the Pokémon to suppress their power, but they ended up destroying one in the process.  They renamed them Type:Null, and recalled the other two into pokeballs, and they never continued the experiment.  One of them I stole from the foundation two years ago, and the other is still in one of the Aether labs.  So, yeah, just another reason why I left home.”  He closed his eyes for a moment, probably readying himself to be back at that place again.  That place that scarred him as a child, that made him so cynical at such a young age. 

“Gladion, again, I don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry.  I know you care a lot about your Pokémon, and your sister.  We’ll get her back, and we’ll save that other Type:Null, too.  I promise.  I don’t know how we’ll do it, but I’m here for you and Lillie, okay?” I assured him, as we came up on the Malie Marina. 

“Thanks, Moon.  I’m sorry to have to spring all of this family drama on you, but you’re the only person that I can think of who can help save Alola.  I know Lusamine is planning something horrible with those Ultra Beasts, and now that she has her hands on Cosmog, I just can’t sit still anymore.  It’s time to act, now.  Let’s go.” Gladion responded assertively.

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the chapter: Demons by Imagine Dragons


	3. Let the Games Begin

As we made our way to the ferry terminal, a familiar face caught my eye, and apparently Gladion’s too. 

“Officer Nanu?”  Gladion exclaimed confusedly. 

“What’s going on?”  I asked Gladion.

“You there, girl.”  Nanu dictated, pointing towards me.  “I’m an Island Kahuna, you know.  Battle against me.  It’ll be a good experience for you if you’re really hoping to master the Island Challenge.” He explained. 

“We don’t have a lot of time.. But I can’t say no to a challenge from an Island Kahuna..”  I hesitated, looking at Gladion for the go-ahead. 

“It’s fine.  It’s not like it’ll take that long anyway.  She’s the strongest trainer I’ve ever met, Nanu.  Be careful.”  He said, trying to hide a smirk from me.  “Plus, we’re still waiting on Hau.  He’s a pretty interesting kid.  I’ll give you that, Moon.”  Gladion retorted, still trying to hide his face from me.  What was that edge in his voice that I detected?  Confused, I watched him for a second, before snapping out of it. 

“Okay Kahuna Nanu, get ready then.  Here we go!  Ribombee! Go!”  I said as I sent my tiny fly out into the air in front of me. 

“Hmph.  _That’s_ your best defense against an Island Kahuna?” Nanu scoffed inquisitively before sending out his Sableye. 

“Don’t underestimate me.  Ribombee, use Dazzling Gleam!”  I commanded as my Pokémon sent out a beam of pink light towards Nanu’s Sableye, causing it to fall in one go. 

“What?! How are you that strong?”  Nanu hung his head, recalling his Pokémon and sending out a new one. 

“This time won’t be so easy.  Krokorok, Go!  Use Swagger!”  Nanu directed his new partner, causing it to send out a wavy light towards my own. 

“Dodge and use Pollen Puff!”  I shouted, as my Pokémon expertly weaved past the opponent’s attack,  this time using a bug-type move against Nanu’s Pokemon.  His second Pokémon fell, yet again, and he recalled it, still in shock. He then called out his last Pokémon. 

“Okay, girl.  I don’t know how you got to be this strong, but I’m done going easy on you! Go! Persian!”  He shouted those last two words, leaving a crisp echo ringing in the air. 

“Ribombee, use Dazzling Gleam once again!”  I told my Pokémon, but this time, it’s attack missed as Nanu directed his partner out of harm’s way. 

“Use Power Gem!”  The older man shouted, rocks flying towards my Ribombee, causing it to fall all too easily.  I recalled it and thanked it for the hard work.   

At this point, Hau showed up, and began cheering me on.

“Yeah, go Moon!  You can do it!”  He yelled, and I smiled to thank him.

 “Passimian, let’s finish this!”  I yelled, sending out my second Pokémon. 

“Use Fake Out!”  Nanu commanded his Persian. 

The attack made contact, causing my Pokémon to flinch. 

“That’s okay, just stay calm and we’ll wait for another in!”  I reassured my partner.

“Fine by me.  Persian, use Dark Pulse!”  Nanu yelled, and a dark stream emitted from Persian. 

“Passimian, up!”  I shouted as my Pokémon lunged into the air, causing Nanu to hesitate in calling another attack.  As my Passimian made its way closer to the opposing side, I knew this was my chance to end this.  To get one step closer to saving my best friend and the region that I have grown to love. 

“Now! Close Combat!”  I shouted as my Pokémon made quick, sharp jabs at Nanu’s Persian. When his pokemon finally fell, he recalled it, and Passimian ran towards me, wishing for praise.  I thanked it with a big hug and a pat on the head before recalling it into its Pokeball.  

“Well, shoot… Of course, I already knew you had the heart and the strength to storm Team Skull’s stronghold, but I didn’t know you were this good.  And your Pokémon worked real hard for you.  Let me heal them up for you.”  The Kahuna answered.  “Here, this is yours.  If you want to use the dark-type Z-Power, you gotta do it like this.”  He explained as he did the Z-pose for dark-type moves. “There.  Congratulations or whatever.  You’ve officially finished your Ula’Ula trials.” 

“Thanks, Nanu, I appreciate it.”  I replied, the first genuine smile that I had made in a while. 

“You’ve got somewhere else to be, don’t you?  Try not to destroy the whole place.  Oh... and you, boy.  Gladion, tell me, if you’re really trying to get stronger as you say, then what are you depending on Team Skull for?”  He questioned my new acquaintance.  Gladion didn’t reply, and I don’t think Nanu was really looking for a reply, either- just a reaction.  I gave Gladion a sorry look anyway, and he looked down while he chewed his cheek in reply.

Hau looked between the two of us in confusion, trying to catch my eye, but I avoided his gaze.   

“Thanks again, Nanu.”  I said to try to cover the awkward silence.  “Well boys, I guess we’ll be off then?”  I started to walk towards the ferry.  The other two followed, and we began our trip to the Aether Paradise. 

 

I quickly noticed that we were the only ones on the boat.  Gladion stood at the front, looking out at the ocean, wind blowing in his hair, a determined look in his eye.  My stomach flipped, and I dismissed it as nerves for the attack we were about to make on Aether.  As I made my way to the boy, Hau pulled me back, leading me back inside the bunker, relieved to finally be able to have a second to talk with me. 

“So what’s with him?  Something between the two of you changed.. What’s up?”  Hau asked, mouth running a mile a minute. 

“On our way to Malie, we talked, and he told me everything.  I want to tell you everything I know, Hau, but I can’t.  That’s his story to tell.  Just know that he can be trusted, and he’s not a bad guy.  One thing that I can tell you, though, is that we have to get Lillie and Cosmog back, no matter what it takes.  I promised him that, and we owe it to Lillie after all of this. Listen carefully.  We can’t trust Lusamine, okay?  She’s planning something terrible.  Gladion said that the only person that we can trust when we get there is Wicke.”  I explained, doing my best to skirt carefully around Gladion’s personal business. 

“So, he opened up to you and suddenly you guys are best friends now?  I mean, come on Moon, the guy worked for Team Skull.  How do you really know you can trust him?”  Hau defended, arms crossing and brow furrowing in the process.

“I.. I just know, okay?  You have every right to be defensive, alright?  But just know this.  Right now, the three of us have the same goal, and that is to save Lillie and Cosmog.  So you can detest him all you like, but please, for the sake of our friend, just trust me for the time being, okay?”  I pleaded with him, hoping to get him to break at the thought of Lillie. 

Hau thought for a moment before providing his answer. 

“Okay, Moon, but only because it’s you.  I’ll go along with your plan for now, but if he acts up, don’t think I won’t snap.”  He retorted, an icy edge to his voice that I had never heard before. 

“Thanks, Hau.  We’ll all get through this, together.”  I assured him. 

Gladion had noticed us talking, and walked over. 

“If you guys are done talking about me, we’re about to dock.  Let’s go.” He said, looking me straight in the eyes. 

“Right.”  Hau and I said in unison, and we made our way to the front of the ferry. 

We docked, and the three of us carefully made our way inside the large, floating building.

 

There was nobody on the dock floor, as least from what we could see. 

“Aether Paradise’s harbor.. We made it this far without running into trouble.  But I don’t like how quiet it is.. You two, stay alert.”  Gladion whispered, careful as to not attract attention our way. 

Hau and I nodded to each other, and the three of us continued on, making our way upstairs. 

“How do you know Lillie will even be here?”  Hau whispered, a glare in Gladion’s direction. 

“She just will be.  If you didn’t believe me, then why did you come with us?”  He retorted. 

“Argh! This guy!”  Hau shout-whispered. 

Gladion shout-whispered for Hau to quiet down. 

“Fine.  So what are we going to do?”  Hau whispered, continuing to glare at Gladion. 

“I guess.. We take the elevator.”  Gladion responded, stalling for a second.

“You guess?! And we’re following this guy?  He doesn’t even have a plan!”  Hau shout-whispered again, his hands up in the air. 

“Shh!”  Before we could continue walking, Gladion held his arms out to his sides to stop us. 

He grabbed my arm and motioned to Hau to follow, and much to his dismay, the other boy complied.  He took us behind a stack of shipping crates, to where we would be hidden from any onlookers.  Gladion, hand still attached to my arm, quickly explained the situation in a hushed whisper.

“I heard someone coming.”  He peered out from between the crates.  Sure enough, an employee walked by, causing Hau to cover his mouth with his hand.  Gladion and I locked eyes, and he let go of my arm. 

“Sorry.”  He apologized, and then continued to man his position of look out. 

I smirked and shook my head before crouching down by Gladion’s feet so that I could look out, too.  Hau crouched next to me. I could see more employees coming. This was bad.  I looked up at Gladion, who was still watching the employees, when I noticed the gulp that he made obstructing his sharp jawline. He looked at the both of us, before admitting that he really didn’t know what he was doing. 

“Okay, so… They obviously know that someone’s here.” He told us before looking up again. “Either we wait here for a little while longer, and likely get found, or we rush them.  Think you guys can handle a few battles?”  He asked us, that familiar determined look gleaming in his eyes again.

“You bet.”  I half-smiled, emulating the very same look in Gladion’s eye.  Hau only nodded firmly. 

“Good.  Let’s go then, quietly.”  Gladion directed. 

The trio ran out of their hiding place, still trying to remain as concealed as possible.

“STOP!”  Yelled one of the employees, but we kept running towards that elevator. 

“Nope!”  I yelled, getting closer and closer with each second. 

“If you won’t stop, then we’ll be forced to battle you.”  A second employee chimed.

“I’d like to see you try!”  Gladion yelled, continuing to run towards the elevators. 

“Fine, then we have no choice!”  A third employee yelled, and sent out an Alolan Muk. 

“Slowbro, go!”  I yelled as Gladion sent out his Weavile, Hau sent out his Raichu, and the other two employees sent out their Pokémon. 

“Scald, go!”  I directed my Pokémon as the other two boys did the same.

The employee’s Pokémon quickly fell and were recalled into their balls, and they had no choice but to let us continue on. 

“That’s the best defense this place has?”  I asked, laughing.  The employees groaned, and Gladion raised an eyebrow at me.  Shaking his head, he tried the elevator. 

“Hm.  Just like I thought… Looks like outsiders can’t use the main elevator to reach the lower levels.  I was afraid this might happen.  But still… what a pain.  We don’t have any choice.  We’ll have to go up.”  He decided. 

He hit the up button, and we began our ascent. When we reached the next floor, we were greeted by Wicke. 

 

“Young master.  It has been a long time.  And hello to you two as well.  Please allow me to heal your Pokemon.”  The kind lady offered. 

“Thanks, Wicke.”  Hau and I said in unison. 

“They took Lillie.  I don’t know where they are, but if you know anything, _please_ , tell us.”  Gladion begged Wicke. 

“No...” She gasped.  “I.. imagine she is with the president, but I’m afraid the doors have been locked.”  Wicke replied, a worried look on her face. 

“Then that’s where I’m going.  That’s all I need to know.  Wicke, please, get us onto the basement floor.  The one with the labs.”  Gladion pleaded with the woman.

“I’ll do what I can.”  Wicke replied, before hurrying off in the other direction.

“Thank you!”  Gladion called after her. 

“Gladion, why did she call you _master_?” Hau asked, sounding annoyed.

“It’s not important right now.”  He quickly retorted, looking to me for help. 

“Look, we’ve got to figure out our next move, and quick.”  I bumped his arm, as more Aether employees made their way toward us. 

“You guys _really_ don’t want to battle us, I promise.  Just step aside and it’ll make it a lot easier for all of us.”  I called out, trying to find every last ounce of confidence I could. 

“I’m afraid we can’t do that, ma’am.  We have direct orders from the President to keep out any and all intruders, even if they happen to be heirs to the Foundation.” One of them said, looking at Gladion in particular. 

“The president?  I’m sure she would help us out if we asked.. She’s a real nice lady.” Hau said in his typical oblivious manner. 

“Yeah, she’s real nice..  As long as you don’t mean anything to her…”  Gladion retorted sarcastically.  “Fine!”  He groaned, and well all sent out our Pokémon, making quick work of our opponents. As they dispersed out of our way, Wicke appeared again.

“I enabled the three of you to use the elevator to go to the lab floor, but you have to be quick.  Go now, Hurry!”  She exclaimed, the urgency growing in her voice. 

“Thanks so much, Wicke.”  Gladion said to the woman, before we made our way back to the elevator. 

“Wait! Moon!”  Wicke called. 

“I turned and hurried back to her, telling the boys to wait for me.

“Please look after young Master Gladion.  When he is worked up about something, he doesn’t consider the consequences.  Even going as far as stealing Pokémon.  Those two siblings are truly very much alike...”  Wicke pondered. 

“Don’t worry, you can count on me.”  I smiled at her, hoping to instill a sense of relief into the woman. 

“Thank you, Moon.  I care for those kids so much..”  She trailed off, nodding at me.  I nodded back, and then returned to the elevator, before descending with the two boys. 

“What was that about?”  Hau asked.

“Nothing..”  I smirked, stealing a glance at Gladion.  The blonde boy just looked at me with wide eyes.           

When we arrived at the bottom floor, Faba and another Aether employee were unfortunately waiting there for us. 

 

“Well, well, well, what have we here?  A couple of scoundrels have managed to make their way to me?  I, Faba, am the Aether Branch Chief.  The only one in the world, I’m irreplaceable!”  Faba exclaimed, hand resting in the air arrogantly. 

“Cut the crap, Faba, and let us through!” Gladion growled at the man. 

“Poor young Master Gladion, sheltered from the world in this very building, ungratefully leaving your poor mother and sister behind, stealing one of our experiments in the process.  And here you come back, uninvited?  How dare you!”  Faba yelled, stirring a reaction in the boy.  I bit my lip and tried to reach out to the boy standing beside me to reassure him, but he retaliated against the man instead. 

“Like you don’t know why.  You of all people should know everything that happens in the Aether Foundation.  Isn’t that right, high and mighty Branch Chief?”  Gladion questioned, eyes glaring.  I thought that I could probably reach out and touch the tension that had manifested itself in this room. 

“Look at you.. living out in the world hasn’t been kind, has it?  Faba laughed, a maniachal tone to his voice.  “But I’m still not telling you anything!  And you of all people should understand why, Gladion.”  Faba retorted, glaring back at the boy standing beside me.

“Hey, Moon?”  Gladion asked, turning towards me, an odd calm washing upon him.  “You know why being a trainer is so great? Because when you’re battling, it doesn’t matter if you’re a kid or an adult.  Everyone’s equal in Pokémon battling!”  Gladion shouted, looking back at Faba. 

“Ohoo, is that what right?  Is that what you think?  So you wish to battle me then? Banch Chief Faba?  The man who is called Aether Paradise’s last line of defense is to battle a mere child?”  Faba asked, mood growing wilder by the second. 

“That’s right!  Your next task is to go through us, and it won’t be an easy assignment to say the least!”  I shouted, nodding at Gladion as he turned to me with an amused look on his face.

“As you wish, then!”  Faba shouted, sending out his Slowbro.

“Go! Decidueye!”   I yelled as I sent out my starter Pokémon, the Aether Employee sent out his Alolan Muk, and Gladion sent out his Golbat. 

“You can do this, guys!”  Hau cheered from behind.

“Decidueye, use Spirit Shackle!”  I commanded, while my started Pokémon sent ghostly arrows at the enemy.  In one clean motion, Faba’s Slowbro went down, and the foe’s Muk was severly hurt. 

“Null, use Crush Claw!”  Gladion yelled, causing his partner to collide with the Muk, which made a second victory for us.  Faba looked shocked, but sent out his Bruxish, while the Aether employee sent out a Ledian. 

“Null, return!”  Exclaimed Gladion, aware of the disadvantage that his Pokemon’s moves had against a bug type.  “Golbat, let’s go!  Use Poison Fang!”  He shouted, causing the Ledian to fall swiftly and the Aether employee to recall his last Pokémon.  

“I-I’m sorry boss, that’s all I got!  It’s up to you!”  The employee said, slightly cowering in fear at the growing anger of the man standing next to him.

“I think that I, Branch Chief Faba, can handle taking out a few _insolent children_.” He glared at us maliciously when he said those last two words.

“You wish!”  Gladion and I said in unison.

“Bruxish, use Psychic Fangs, NOW!”  Faba demanded, and I knew I had to act quickly if I wanted to save Gladion’s Golbat from becoming a snack. 

“Leaf Blade, go!”  I shouted, and my Decidueye moved at once on my command, his wing turning into a sharp green blade and making contact with the fish Pokémon, causing it to fall at once. 

“Moon, thanks…” Gladion said with wide eyes. 

 “Anytime, now let’s get this over with!”  I said confidently. 

“Right.  Faba, it’s over.  You might as well just give up now!”  Gladion yelled across the room. 

“ _Give up?!_ To you two?  Why, I would never! Go, Hypno!  Use Psychic!” Faba shouted back, maniacal as ever. Gladion’s Golbat became engulfed within a blue forcefield before floating higher in the air and then being slammed onto the ground.  He cringed at his Pokémon’s cry, before sending his Type:Null again. 

“Together, Gladion, Now!”  I directed him.  He nodded in agreement. 

“Use Spirit Shackle!”  I shouted, and my owl Pokémon sent out flying arrows at Faba’s Hypno. At the same time, Gladion had commanded his Type:Null to use Pursuit.  His Pokémon was able to weave in and out between the arrows, causing them to surround his dark aura as he moved.  Null and Faba’s Hypno collided in what was probably one of the strongest combo moves that I’ve ever seen.  Faba recalled his partner quickly. 

“How can this be?! To be cornered by mere children? Faba muttered, clearly growing desperate by the second. 

“Maybe helping each other out isn’t so bad….” Gladion began.  “So, as I said, Faba.  You of all people know what I’m here for.”  He said confidently.    

“Indeed..  The world truly hadn’t been kind to you, has it?  Look how hard it has made you.  If you’re looking for Cosmog, I suppose it might be in one of the labs..  I’ve heard experiments are held down there. Experiments aiming to tear the very boundaries of the world apart...”  Faba trailed off.  Hau and I gasped in shock, while Gladion kept his glare and his composure trained on Faba. 

“Right. Thanks.  Let’s go.”  Gladion maintained.

 

Faba left the downstairs area, and we continued on. 

“Whoa, it’s like a secret hideout!”  Hau exclaimed, looking around in awe. 

“Don’t get too excited, Hau...”  Gladion sighed.  “Everything looks the same.  I guess it’s only been two years, though…”  He continued

“So where do we go now?”  The younger boy asked. 

“I suppose we just check every room, battle anyone who gets in our way?”  I proposed with a shrug.

“There are two labs up ahead.  I’ll check the first lab, Secret Lab A.  You two check out Secret Lab B.  It’s the second one, down the hall.”  Gladion answered our call.

“Why do you get the first one?  And why do you know all of this?”  Hau asked, quicker each time. 

“Just focus, Hau.  Think you can do that?  We can’t trust Faba.  I’m sure he’s already told half of the foundation about us.”  Gladion changed the subject quickly. 

“You didn’t even answer my question… I know what it’s gotta be.  Nerves, eh? I reckon that you’re more scared to be here than either one of us, huh, Gladion?”  Hau kept pushing as we got closer to the labs.

“Hau!”  I said sternly, looking at my friend with a raised eyebrow.  “Not now, okay?  We’ll worry about the ifs and the buts later.  Just come with me to the second lab.”  I directed. Hau scoffed and shook his head while Gladion wrinkled his eyebrows at me. 

“Lillie must be so scared right now.. Let’s buckle down and do this!”  Hau cried, his cheery self joining us again. 

“Here’s the first lab.  You guys keep going and meet back here in a few minutes.” Gladion pointed down the hall as we kept walking.  We made it to the second lab down the hall, and luckily it was deserted. 

“Come on, Moon!  Let’s split up and look around.  Maybe we’ll find a clue.”  Hau suggested, looking through a few of the books on the shelf against the wall.  I chose the computer to scan. 

“Hey, Hau, you might want to look at this.”  I said, adding a sense of urgency to my voice. “These files.. They have data on Cosmog-I mean Nebby.”  I scrolled through the spreadsheet, trying to make sense of the numbers. 

“Wait… So Cosmog might be an Ultra Beast?  We have to tell Gladion about this!”  Hau exclaimed, pulling me out of the lab. “You go tell him, I’m going to check the third lab to see if I can find anything else.”  Hau noted bravely, running further down the hallway. 

“Okay.. be careful- shout if something happens! We’ll be by the first lab.”  I called after him.

“Gladion!”  I called, seeing him coming out of the first lab. 

“It’s not here…”  He said softly.  “Me and Null..  We’re more alike than we might look.  We’re both what we were made to be.  I was like an ornament to my mother.  Wearing whatever she told me to wear, acting however she told me to act… Null was crafted just as carefully.  In this room, right here...”  He half-whispered, facing the wall across from us, and I almost thought that I saw a gleam in the corner of his left eye. 

“Gladion...”  I reached out to touch his arm in an attempt of comfort, but he pulled away, probably out of habit. 

“Did you find anything?”  He asked me, snapping out of his trance. 

“Yeah- on the computer in the lab there was some data on Cosmog.  Something about being an Ultra Beast?  And if you stress it a lot, it can create Ultra Wormholes, maybe like it’s trying to run away?”  I explained, trying to make sense of the words and numbers jumbling around in my head. 

“If you stress it… if you hurt it- is that what you mean?  Was that why she ran away with it?”  He asked me. 

“Maybe...”  I trailed off, trying not to think of the horrors that my friend might be dealing with right now. 

“Guys!”  Hau called. “I didn’t find anything in the last lab! Moon, did you tell him what we found in the second one?”  Hau asked, reaching us at last.  I nodded yes.

“Yeah... Faba probably knew this would be a dead end. Damn.. did he outsmart us?”  Gladion said, running his hands through his hair. 

“Well our only choice now is to go back up.”  I offered, trying to keep everybody on track. 

“Yeah, we’ve gotta go after him.  We all got into this together.  Might as well see it to the end together!”  Hau said, more determined than I’ve ever seen him.  We ascended back to the main floor, and were promptly greeted, once again, by none other than Faba. 

“My, My… What naughty children.  You should just lay your heavy heads down.  I knew that you would struggle onward- I could see through every action you would take.  So, I knew you would try to reach the president.  I knew I would be able to ambush you here and remedy my previous failure. The only reason I let you in the lower floor was to buy time and gather more staff to stop you.”  Faba droned on, enunciating every syllable of his monologue.

“Hmph.  Even beaten down, old Faba doesn’t change, does he?”  Gladion asked to no one in particular.

“Moon, what do we do?”  Hau whispered.

“Beat whoever stands in our way.  What other choice do we have?”  Gladion said, glare and determination on deck.

“Gladion, Hau!  You guys go on ahead!  I’ll take care of Faba and meet up with you guys!”  I directed, feeling ready to get this over with.  The boys nodded and began battle with the numerous Aether employees that were approaching us.  I made quick work of Faba and he sunk to his knees in defeat.  “This is why... this is why I can’t bring myself to like children.” The pitiful man cried. 

“That’s what you get when you go through the trials of the Island Challenge!”  I exclaimed, Gladion and Hau at my sides again. 

“Now that you understand, how about you get out of our way?”  Gladion chimed in.  Faba didn’t even react, so we kept on moving, battling anyone who came into contact with us and pressing on. 

And there we were, walking along an empty corridor towards what is likely to be the last laugh. 

“You know… I know we aren’t friends.  But I’m glad you two are here… I remember what you said at the Royal Battle Dome that day, Hau.  About how people can achieve more if they do something together. Looks like maybe you are right... Moon.  Please, help Lillie for me, and save Cosmog if I can’t.  I’m right behind you.”  Gladion nodded towards me, somehow still not letting his walls down completely. “This is where the real battle begins, though, so we can’t let our guards down.  I’ll go first.”  He said as he started to push open the next door. 

“No!”  I shouted. The boys looked at me in a mixture of surprise and confusion.  “Together. The three of us.”  I demanded, as the two others nodded in unison, and we pushed the door open simultaneously. 

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the chapter: Ready for it by Taylor Swift


	4. I do Whatever it Takes

“Wha--?!  Y-You came? You actually came to help me, Moon?  And Hau!  And you too, Gladion?  Thank you… Thank you!!”  The look that grazed my friend’s face was unmistakably shocked. 

“Lillie!!”  Hau exclaimed as he ran up to her to give her a huge hug.  The pair broke apart so that Lillie could hug me, as well. 

“I’m sorry we couldn’t come sooner...”  I trailed off in apology. 

“No, no!  The fact that you _all_ are here just for me is enough.  Thank you.” Lillie eased, somehow still strong after all of this.  She finally made her way over to her brother and the two embraced for what seemed to be the first time in two years. 

“I’m so sorry, Lillie.”  Was all Gladion had managed to say, working hard to fight back tears, while Lillie just shook her head, letting her own tears fall onto his hoodie.  Hau’s visibly annoyed reaction gave away his feelings for Lillie. 

“It’s.. o..kay.., brother…”  She sniffled though her tears. 

“BROTHER?!”  Hau’s expression quickly turned from irritation into complete and utter shock at the relay of this information. 

“Ah, I would have said something earlier if I’d have known you guys knew each other...”  Lillie said, extending her arm behind her head like Hau always does. 

“So that’s why you cared so much about this mission, and why you wouldn’t tell me his reasoning and- does that mean that the president is your mother, then?”  Hau directed this question at Gladion first, and then at me, trying to process everything he had just learned. 

“Yeah, sorry, Hau, but it wasn’t exactly my dirt to dish out.”  I explained to my friend. 

“Ahhh, Moon.  It’s been a while since we last saw you.”  Lusamine said as she walked in abruptly, making a once-over around the room. “Hmm.. So you know one another.” She asked rhetorically, as we watched her with skeptical eyes.  “Ah, sweet Hau… Hmph.  And Gladion, too.  Must you be so untidy?”  She asked, as Gladion intensified his glare and Lillie shifted uncomfortably.  “A gifted young trainer like Moon.. And she bothers with someone like you two?  How disappointing...”  She went on, circling the room like a Pyroar, ready to hunt. 

“They’re my friends!”  I shouted in defense. 

“WEAK!”  Lusamine scoffed, slapping the wall in retaliation.  “You’re too late!”  She shouted. “While you were busy making your way here to save your silly friend, I was able to successfully acquire Cosmog so that I can open an Ultra Wormhole!”  She continued, slowly losing her sanity. 

“No! I don’t need your approval, Mother, or your permission!  I will save Cosmog!”  Lillie shouted back valiantly. 

“My.. you do say some incomprehensible things. Calling me mother?  I don’t have any children!  Certainly not any wretched children who would run off and reject my love! The daughter who stole my Cosmog from me, and the son who took my Type:Null!  All I ever did was give you the all the love I had, and all you did was betray me!  You have no right to ask for my attention now!”  Lusamine exclaimed, eyes wild as she looked back and forth between her offspring.   

“I’m not being foolish or selfish, I am asking you to listen, Mother!  _Do not_ sacrifice Cosmog for that beast’s sake!  Please, stop!  If Nebby isn’t... If you make it use too much of its power, you don’t understand what will happen!  If you open the Ultra Wormhole, Cosmog will... Cosmog will die!”  Lillie retaliated, clearly choosing to ignore her mother’s snide comments, an action that she has evidently been perfecting for most of her life. 

“You’re right, it probably will die.  Because I’m going to force it to use its power whether it wants to or not!  So, tell me how you’ll save that Pokémon.  What can you do, Lillie?  You failed to convince me to listen to you.  You don’t even have the strength of a trainer.  The only thing you’ve ever done on your own is steal someone else’s research material!” 

Lusamine fought back, unwilling to give up.  

“Will you just listen to us, please?!  You can’t open the Ultra Wormhole.  You _cannot_ let those beasts run wild!”  Gladion spoke up, causing Lusamine to look at him with the most contempt that I have ever seen. 

“You’re not beautiful enough for this world.. My world. But fine.  Since you’re here anyway, you can watch me summon my sweet beast. And then.. you can leave.  Maybe if you had really been a daughter to me, I would have listened to you.  Too bad. Hurry then, this way, if you want to see the show, that is.”  Lusamine said all too calmly towards Lillie, not even paying attention to Gladion as she walked into the next room. 

“Moon… I really am happy that you came after me.. but.. but, I have to be selfish again.. I have to ask you one more time.. please..”  She trailed off in worry. 

“Lillie, anything you need, I promise!”  I offered, ready to do anything to help my best friend.

“We have to get Nebby back.  I need you to battle my mother.”  Lillie explained solemnly.

“Alright, so then what’s the plan?  Where is she going?”  I asked, sure that we need to develop some sort of strategy. 

“I’m not sure, but that door leads outside, so our best bet is just to follow her lead.”  Lillie explained, and we all nodded in understanding.  I told Lillie to stay close to me and advised Gladion and Hau to hold up the rear.

 

As we made our way outside, we realized that we seriously underestimated our situation.

“Whoa!  There’s, like, a billion Team Skull thugs out here!”  Hau exclaimed, his frustration rooting in all of us. 

“So, the foundation really was working together with Team Skull, then.”  I turned to look back at Gladion, expecting some sort of answer. 

“What?  Look, all I knew was that they were planning something about stealing Cosmog.  I didn’t know about all of _this_ mess.”  Gladion defended himself, hands in the air, gesturing towards our enemies. 

“This is, like, way too mind-blowing to think about right now.”  Hau said, hands cupping his face before running them over his ponytail.  “Well, come on then!  Let’s knock some skulls together for now!”  Hau cried in hopes of motivating us.  We went forward, battling team skull grunt after grunt and keeping Lillie safe.  They were not very tough, but we were vastly outnumbered.  Eventually Gladion and Hau passed Lillie and I when I got stuck in a double battle against two surprisingly strong grunts.  Once I won the battle, we were able to press on very easily since the two boys went through first, clearing the remaining grunts. Once we were in earshot of the others, we heard loud crashing noises, so we ran even faster to catch up. 

“Ugh!  So I’m still not strong enough..  All the days that I struggled alone, lonely..  It was all for nothing?  Is that _it_?”  Gladion asked to the sky, exasperated.  Lillie and I quickly figured out what had happened.  Guzma was here, and Gladion had just lost to him. 

“Gladion…” Lillie and I both said in unison.  When I looked at her awkwardly, she raised an eyebrow at me.  I shook my head and turned towards our enemy, who laughed eerily. 

“The hated boss who beats you down and beats you down and never lets up.. Yeah.  Big, bad Guzma is here!  I did that spoiled little brat a favor and crushed him.”  Guzma told us, as if we needed explaining.  “Yeah, that was me,” He went on in an airy tone.  “Ya know, I kind of liked you, kid.  Leaving home like that and wanting to get stronger and stronger.  You had some real guts.  Going to far as coming over to Team Skull.  And rejecting your own mother?  That was impressive.”  He chastised the boy, who pretended to be out of his daze.  “And now it’s your turn!  You little misfits keep getting up in my grill, like a cloud of smoke that I can’t brush away.  It’s time I put out your fire at the source!”  Guzma shouted, turning his attention on me. 

“Guzma, just give it a rest now, while you still have the chance to keep your dignity.  You know what happened the last two times we battled!”  I tried to reason with the man, fighting hard to keep calm and confident. 

“Hm!  Yeah right, kid.  It’s not like that anymore.  I won’t be losing to you again!”  It was evident that he wouldn’t be giving up any time soon. 

“Fine.  I guess I have no choice but to accept your challenge...”  I sighed.  “Go, Lycanroc!”  I shouted, sending my first Pokémon out in front of me.    

“Golisopod, go!”  Guzma shouted, summoning his large bug-type. 

“Stealth Rock, Go!”  I commanded, as my partner sent a handful of extremely sharp rocks across the way, surrounding the Golisopod. 

“Stone Edge, now!”  I shouted, and my Pokémon slammed its front paws on the ground, causing large boulders to erupt, hitting the target and causing it to fall.

“Tsk. Return.  Now, Ariados, let’s finish this, use Sucker Punch!”  Guzma shouted, finally realizing that he was in way over his head when he challenged me.  The giant spider actually managed to make contact with my Pokémon, however it did not cause much damage.  “Hang in there, Lycanroc!  Stone Edge, once more!”  I directed, and once again, the boulders made contact with the target, causing it to fall. Guzma sent out his next Pokemon, a Masquerain, and I recalled my Lycanroc, sensing that it could use a good rest, and thanked it for battling hard before sending out my Slowbro. 

“Use Bug Buzz!”  Guzma commanded his Pokémon, causing it to emit a green soundwave towards my partner.  Due to Slowbro’s lower speed stat, the move made contact, but my Pokémon has a high enough HP and defense which made it largely unfazed by the attack. 

“Flamethrower, let’s go!”  I shouted, and fire shot from my partner’s mouth, hitting the Masquerain dead on, and causing it to fall.  Guzma sent out his last Pokémon, aware that there’s essentially no way that he can win by now. 

“Pinsir, let’s go!”  Guzma shouted. 

“Flamethrower, one more time!”  I called as red-hot flames engulfed the target Pokémon, causing Guzma’s last line of defense to fall, once and for all. 

“Hey, what’s up with you?  How come I can’t crush you?”  Guzma asked in frustration.  “Guzma!  What’s wrong with you?  If I want to beat you down, I’ve gotta get at least as strong as you!  I can’t believe you beat me down like that..  Urgh!  Looks like I’ve got no choice, though.  Go on.. Go through.”  He hung his head in defeat and stepped out of the way. 

“I told you not to challenge me.  Remember that next time, okay?”  I called out behind me as our foursome ran past him. 

 

I opened the door to what seemed to be the final destination, and the four of us burst into the large room. 

“Wh-what is this place?”  Lillie asked, looking around at the various Pokémon that were encapsulated in the glass cages lining the walls, in a mixture of awe and disgust.

“What do you think?  It’s my private collection.  My precious babies… They will all be preserved here the rest of eternity.”  Lusamine explained, stepping out from the shadows, gesturing towards the cages.  “But my poor beast… What rage must it feel, arriving in this strange world?  It would not be right to confine its feelings in such a small case as these ones… It will need to express itself.  I think I will let us express its fury upon the Alola region as it will!”  Lusamine went on, voice growing louder and more excited as she lifted her hands into the air.  

“Mother, you can’t!  Think of all the people that it’ll hurt!”  Lillie shouted, shaking her head and growing hysterical at the sight of Nebby’s motionless body trapped inside of Lusamine’s prison. 

“Now that I have Cosmog here in this crate, I can use it to open the wormhole.  If I force it to use all of its power, how many Ultra Wormholes will I be able to open? How many sweet beasts will come to me then?”  Lusamine asked the ceiling, ignoring Lillie’s attempt of reasoning with her.  While she explained her plan, Aether employees came up behind us, putting us in armlocks so that we could not escape, or try to interfere with Lusamine’s plan. 

“Let me go!”  I yelled as I tried to wiggle my way out from the employee’s grip.  “Let us go!  You can’t do this!”  I shouted, only to be ignored by Lusamine and her henchmen. 

“Watch…  I will open the Ultra Wormhole for you… Come to me, my sweet beast!  You see!  All over Alola!”  Lusamine laugh-shouted as she began her descent into madness, and started typing furiously at the machine controlling Nebby’s prison.  The cries that came from the metal crate were indescribable, and evidently something that I would not like to witness ever again.  “Ugh.. must you be so noisy, even inside there?” Lusamine snapped at the Pokémon, who only continued to cry out in pain.  We could all only look on in horror.  “The only thing that I need from you is your power! But I will admit, it looks like that power has served me well.”  Lusamine condescended, turning around from her workstation.  “There should be plenty of beautiful beasts appearing all around Alola as we speak!”  She told us, examining the graphs on the monitors.  “Look!  On Akala and Poni… Even on Melemele Island!”  She pointed out, the brightness in her eyes taken over by darkness.  I already knew she was out of it, but this was something completely different.  Seeing a person lose complete touch with humanity before my eyes, in only a matter of minutes changed me as a person.  In this moment, I realized that one of the only things that matters in life is protecting those you care about.  I tried again to break loose from my captor. 

Just then, Guzma burst through the door, his usual smug appearance in tow. 

“Madam Prez… The experiment waza success, huh? Looks like it’s finally time to catch this wicked Ultra Beast to beat down these annoying kids!”  He suggested, looking at us menacingly. 

Just then, a strange purple and green light began to emit from the top corner of the room, causing everything to go still for a moment.  We all looked in awe at the strange light, as if we were completely frozen in time.  A hole began to erupt from within the light, and the Ultra Beast from my first visit to the Aether Paradise floated out of it. Lillie screamed, Gladion cringed, and Hau was still frozen in time.  I tried vigorously to get out of the employee’s hold, to no avail.

“Ho ho ho ho!  Hee hee!  My sweet beast!”  Lusamine then turned towards us with a look of utter revulsion.   “Guzma.  Quiet those children for me.  I don’t want to hear from them again.”  She commanded the man, who began cracking his knuckles and laughing.

Shaking my head, I knew I wasn’t going down without a fight.  Finally able to break free of my constraints, I tightened my grip around one of the Pokeballs that were sitting on my belt.  The other employees let my friends go. 

“Hau! You take Guzma!  Gladion, take Lillie and get out of here!  GO! METAGROSS!”  I directed as I sent out my trusted partner, who emitted a sharp metal-like noise to show its pride. 

“Moon!  We have to get Nebby back!”  Lillie called out to me as Gladion rushed her out of the room. 

“Stop the President! If we don’t, Alola will be flooded with beasts!”  Gladion called out after her before disappearing behind the door.  Hau began his battle with Guzma, which left Lusamine to me.  

“You’re going to startle my sweet beast!  My beautiful treasure, Clefable, please help me silence this nuisance!”  She yelled as she sent out her Pokémon.  “Use Moonblast, now!”  She screamed, and her Pokémon began charging up celestial power. 

“Dodge and use Meteor Mash!”  I shouted back, confident in the speed and power of my friend. My Pokémon dodged the foe’s attack with ease, and slammed into it, causing substantial damage, but unfortunately, not quite enough. 

“Cosmic Power, now!”  Lusamine laughed maniacally, as Clefable sent a pink energy field towards my Metagross.  My Pokémon, however didn’t seem to feel a thing. 

“That’s what I thought.  Meteor Mash, one more time!”  I commanded, as my Pokémon once again collided with the target, causing it to fall once and for all.  I made quick work of the rest of her Pokémon with the help of my team, causing her to sink to her knees.  At the same time, Hau had finished up his battle with Guzma, with the older man looking on in shock, frantic, as his hands shake in his hair.  “Hau!  Great job!” I congratulated my friend on a job well done. 

“Thanks Moon!  You too! I knew you wouldn’t have any trouble.”  He cheered, always the optimist.  I smiled at him, grateful for his words of encouragement. 

“Let’s go get Lillie and Gladion, then, and reunite with Nebby.”  I suggested, now that we had finished our mission.  Hau nodded. 

“I’ll go get them, and I’ll send Wicke up here to deal with the two of you.”  He said confidently, narrowing his eyebrows at Lusamine and Guzma.   

“How.. How can you be so awful?”  Lusamine asked me, eyes wide.  Then she turned her head in disgust and crossed her arms.  “All I want is my precious beast!  I don’t care about any of the rest of you!”  She said, and at that moment the others had come back, hearing her unfortunate choice of words. 

“Mother…” Lillie whispered in defeat.

“No! The Ultra Wormhole is disappearing!” Lusamine shouted at the interdimensional tear, unsure of what to do next.  She looked around anxiously until coming to a stop, having made up her mind. “Guzma.  With me.  We will catch the beast using the Beast Ball that we’ve developed here.”  She ordered him, grabbing his wrist and pulling him towards the wormhole.

“Wha-??”  Guzma half-resisted, before giving up and jumping into the Ultra Wormhole with her. 

“MOTHER!”  Lillie tried to dash after them, but Hau bear-hugged her from behind before she could go any further.         

Gladion and I looked to each other in worry, trying to search for the next step.  Both unsure of what to do, we inched closer to the wormhole.  It closed up before we could look closer.  Hau let go of Lillie, who quickly hurried to where the wormhole once was.

“Mother, why?!”  She cried as she sunk to her knees.  Gladion kneeled beside her to comfort his sister.  “N-Nebby..  Nebby, are you alright?”  She asked, hesitantly opening the nebula Pokémon’s cage.  Gasping, she picked it up, and it floated absentmindedly above her hands. 

“What is it?”  Gladion asked, standing up quickly, afraid that Lillie had gotten hurt. 

“It.. it changed forms… and it’s not moving..” She explained, showing us its body.      

“I..  I don’t know what to do..  How did all of this happen?”  I asked to no one in particular.

“Because of Lusamine, and her obsession with Ultra Beasts, that’s how.”  Gladion explained, shaking his head in anger.  “Come on.  Let’s get out of here.  Nothing good can happen here.”  He suggested, trying his best to remain calm through everything. 

 

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the chapter: Whatever it Takes by Imagine Dragons


	5. Everything has Changed

We exited the trophy room and made our way back to the siblings’ childhood home.  Wicke was waiting for us, armed with pillows and blankets. “You all are unharmed.  Oh, thank goodness.”  She sighed in relief.  “Miss Lillie, Master Gladion, if you and your friends would like to get some rest after everything that has happened, I have prepared a few beds in the guest quarters.”  The kind lady offered to us.

“Yeah, maybe.  But there is still a ton we have to do…” Gladion thought out loud, looking at the floor worriedly.  

“Thank you, Wicke.  I think… I will sleep here.  In the bed that I once shared with my mother when I was small… Just one last time…” Lillie explained, heading up the stairs and out of sight. 

“Lillie and Wicke are right.  We need rest, and to mull everything over.  We can’t strategize at this hour.  Thank you so much for accommodating us, Wicke.”  I nodded at her, as she smiled her welcome while I followed towards the guest quarters.  We all shuffled to our rooms, eager to finally sleep on a nice, soft bed after the last few days that we have had.  I washed my face in the adjoining bathroom that my bedroom had, put on an oversized t-shirt and some shorts, and passed out underneath of the mountain of sheets and blankets adorning the bed.  Finally in REM, the nightmares started coming.  They started out as dreams, recollections of my journey so far, winning my upcoming elite four challenges- the usual, but they quickly took a turn for the worst.  There my friends and I were, in Lusamine’s trophy room.  The president swelled in size until she was no longer human, but an apparition and a menacing voice.  She commanded the jellyfish-like Ultra Beast to attack us, and I awoke, breathless, sitting upright in the bed.  After shaking my head and rubbing my face, I looked around contemplating my surroundings.  Still wired from the dream, but also not able to come to an agreement with myself that I was completely safe, I decided to go for a walk.  The corridors were eerily cold and dark at night, especially after all that had happened the night before.  Still, I was too scared to walk back to my room alone.  Instead, I found myself walking to Gladion’s room.  I’m not sure why I did it, but I knocked on his door.  Perhaps because there was a dim light on, and I was curious as to why he would still be up. That’s what I told myself, at least.

“…Come in?”  He asked, clearly as confused as I was that anyone would be up at this hour. I peered in, both of us silent in a mixture of shock and embarrassment.

“I..”  I shook my head and looked at the floor.  “I couldn’t sleep… I.. Bad dream- so I went for a walk and I saw your light on and-“ I trailed off, trying not to talk so fast. 

“Come in.”  He said calmly, putting away the notebook that he was scribbling in.  _I think that may have even been a smile.  No- it must’ve been the delusion and lack of sleep._  

“I’m sorry…  I don’t know why I knocked, but I didn’t want to go back to my room alone.” I tried. 

“It’s okay.  I can’t sleep either.”  He pat the bed, offering me the spot next to him.  Thankful for his reassuring nature, I did not hesitate to take it. 

“Thanks…”  I said as I climbed in and pulled the blankets over me.  He did the same on the opposite side of the bed before turning off the lamp.  “What were you writing?”  I asked curiously. 

“Pieces of our next plan of action.”  He sighed.  “I know I shouldn’t be thinking about it right now.  I should be trying to sleep, but I couldn’t get my mind off of it. Off of everything.”  He explained, exhaling deeply. 

“I understand- and I don’t blame you.  But.. I think it’s best if we all figure it out together, tomorrow.”  I tried to comfort him, turning over in his direction.  ‘

“You’re right,” He said as he flipped over in my direction.  Even in the dark, I could see the green in his eyes glimmering as they looked at me. “I’m sorry for everything.  Team skull, my mother, being a jerk to you when we first met…” He trailed off. 

“You don’t have to apologize for anything.  I’m always happy to help, and I know that your initial apathy is because of everything that your mother put you through over the years.  And.. Thank you for opening up to me so I can understand that.  Plus, Lillie is my best friend, too, and I mean, I couldn’t not help, you know?”  I rambled on. 

“If Lillie is your best friend, then why aren’t you in her room right now looking for comfort?”  He retorted.  I blinked.  _Was he flirting?  Or just trying to make a point?_  

“I..”  I truly didn’t have an answer.  “I don’t know why I came in here, really…  I guess I just.. wanted your company…”  I answered honestly. 

“Tch… You’ve never been one for anything but honestly, have you?”  He asked me, nudging my arm in the process.

“I’ve never found a reason not to be.  It’s gotten me where I am today, so I don’t plan on changing anytime soon.”  I answered confidently. 

“And where is that exactly?”  He asked expectantly.  I raised an eyebrow, and he pulled me in towards him so that we were spooning.  I inhaled sharply before letting my breath go, and he wrapped his arms around me.  We lay like that, before slowly drifting off to sleep, two souls starving for affection, touch, and comfort, feeling soothed to have someone safe to hold on to through all of this.  The next morning, I awoke to Wingull chirping outside of the window, and sunlight pouring over the expanse of the room.  Gladion and I were still in the same position as we were in when we fell asleep, the both of us clearly having mutually benefited from our closeness in the form of very deep slumber.  I stirred and woke Gladion up. 

“Shit.”  He said, sitting up and realizing what had happened between us. 

“Ummm.. Well, I don’t know about you, but I slept very well.”  I whispered to him, a nervous giggle escaping my throat.

“I did too.. But what do you think the others are doing right now?  They have to have realized that we’re both gone.”  He whispered back, careful not to make too much commotion. 

“I don’t know… What time is it?  Do you hear anything out there?”  I asked, trying to listen for any other sign of movement outside of Gladion’s room.  We waited for a second to try to listen more carefully. 

“No… But they could be in the kitchen getting something to eat.”  He told me, which would explain the lack of noise. 

“Should we go look?  Or should we go one at a time?”  I asked, growing nervous and excited simultaneously.  Something about falling asleep with Gladion and possibly getting caught made both emotions come to the surface. 

“Shh, Shh.  I’ll go out first and look out.  If it’s clear, you can come out after.”  He suggested, and I obliged, figuring that it would be best if he goes since he knows the building way better than I do.  He peeked out the door and walked out, giving me a thumbs up, ensuring me that it was safe to come out into the hall.  He carefully crept along the hall, and I followed closely behind, keeping both eyes and ears peeled.  At the end of the hall, he came to an abrupt stop, making me nearly crash into him.  I had to put my hands on his shoulders to prevent knocking myself and him over. 

“Sorry.”  We both said in unison.  “I saw a few employees go down that hallway over there.  He pointed at the corridor to the right.  “I don’t think they saw anything, though, so we should be fine to keep going.  Let’s be quick.”  He whispered behind him, my hands still on his shoulders.  “And.. your- you’re not exactly helping our situation right now.” He noted, patting my left hand and smirking at me. 

“Oh!  Sorry! Heh-“  I quickly retracted my hands, attempting to cover up my blush. We kept on walking, trying to find our friends, being as inconspicuous as possible.  I knew we were getting close to the kitchen when I could hear laughter and the echoes of silverware clinging on glass.  We stopped, and he turned around to face me. 

“Okay, I’ll go in first, and you wait a minute and come in after me.”  He explained. I nodded, and pressed my back up against the wall adjacent to the door to the kitchen, while he walked in.  I was grateful that I could hear the entire conversation, so that I could prepare myself to walk in nonchalantly in a few minutes. 

“Hey, Gladion!”  Lillie exclaimed.  I could hear her get up from her chair, likely to give her brother a hug. 

“Morning, Lillie.”  He chirped back at her. 

“An employee has prepared us some breakfast! Please, join us?”  Lillie begged of him. 

“Of course, sounds great.”  He replied.  I waited for him to sit down and start eating before walking in. 

“Heyyy, Moon!”  Lillie chimed.  “Please, help yourself to breakfast!”  She sang, clearly feeling a little better than she was last night. 

“Thanks, Lillie.”  I said as I grabbed a plate and sat down across from Gladion, and in between Lillie and Hau. 

“So, how did you two sleep?”  Hau asked, looking up from his plate.  Gladion choked on his eggs, and I froze, my eyes wide, trying my best to not make eye contact with anyone. 

“Um.  Great, thanks for asking.  What about everyone else?”  I asked, trying to be as oblivious as possible.

“Pretty good, and I feel a lot better now.” Lillie answered, and I was thankful, both that she was able feeling better, and that she answered my question. Gladion just kind of mumbled ‘fine’ as he shoved food down his throat.  Hau wasn’t having it.  I could tell he knew something was up. 

“I passed your room on the way here this morning, Moon, and your door was open, but you weren’t in there.  Where were you?”  He pestered, trying to look me in the eye.  Gladion and I made eye contact, and he raised an eyebrow, willing me to make something clever up. 

“Oh, I went outside to watch the ocean for a little bit before coming in here.  It’s beautiful out there, you know.”  I swiftly turned and gave my friend an accomplished smile, holding my chin in my palm. Gladion exhaled, still trying to avoid catching anyone else’s eye. 

“That’s a great idea, Moon!  I used to do that all of the time when I was younger.”  She said, beaming at me.  I smiled back, and then turned back to Hau, who was finishing his plate with fervor, brows knitted in slight frustration at my lack of compliance. 

“Look, everybody…. I’ve really got to thank you. For coming out here, saving Nebby and I, and trying to help my mother.”  Lillie said graciously. “I feel like there’s so much I have to do now.. To help Nebby, and to save my mother…”  She trailed off anxiously.    

“Lillie, you don’t have to do this alone.”  I reassured her. 

“Right.  You’ve got us.  There’s the president and Guzma, who both disappeared into the Ultra Wormhole… Even if she is.. Like that, Lusamine is still our mother.  We can’t just leave her in the beast’s world.  Not to mention Cosmog and why it stopped moving like that... We might be able to reach other worlds if we had Alola’s legendary Pokémon on our side.  The people of Alola worship it, but I don’t even know if it’s even real…”. Gladion trailed off, his turn to feel the anxiety. 

“Of course it is!  After all, the beasts are real.  I’m sure we can find it.  We’ll find the legendary Pokémon!”  Hau cheered, reassuring all of us in our newly composed misery. 

“Hau is right.  We have each other, so we’ll figure this out.”  I chimed in. 

“Wait.. I found something downstairs.  I’ll be right back.”  Gladion offered, leaving all of us on the edge of our seats.  When he came back, he was holdigng some sort of flute.  “It’s the Moon Flute.  It’s apparently an artifact from Alola’s past.  They say it’s supposed to be played under the  sunlight.  I think Lusamine was even planning to add the legendary Pokémon to her little collection here…”  He cringed at the thought. 

“Let me see it?”  Lillie reached her hand out, and Gladion handed her the flute.  “The Moon Flute and the Sun Flute…”  She started, like she was trying to remember something. 

“Yeah, mother used to read us the legends when we were kids.  When sounded together, it’s said that the two can call the legendary Pokémon…. That is, if you believe in old myths, anyway.”  Gladion explained, waving his hand nonchalantly. 

“So… we have to try to find the other flute somewhere?” I asked, trying to think of where in hell it could be. 

“Legend tells that it’s somewhere on Poni Island. My guess is the Kahuna would have some answers for you.”  Gladion suggested, and Lillie and I looked at each other and nodded. 

“Well, we’d better go then.. And quick, before anything else happens.  Let’s go gather our stuff and get ready!”  Lillie exclaimed, and I could tell that she was excited to get out of this place.  We all were, in a way.  I made my way back to my room, hopped in the shower, got changed, and packed my bag before meeting Gladion and Hau at the docks. 

“Moon, here.  Take this with you.  It’s a Master Ball- It can catch any Pokémon without fail.  I figure it might come in handy on Poni, and I’m counting on you to help Lillie.  This is the least I can do.”  He greeted me, handing me a purple-colored Pokeball. 

“Why does it sound like you aren’t coming with us?” I asked him, looking up confusedly. 

“I can’t.  I have to clean up this mess at Aether.  I wanted to get as far away from this place as I could, together with Null… But in the end, it looks like I ended up right back here again…” He sighed, looking at the wall in annoyance.  “I’m sorry again for dragging you into our family mess.”  He offered, finally gazing down at me.   

“How many times do I have to tell you?  You do _not_ have to apologize for _anything_.”  I explained to him.  I wanted so bad to hold his hand, to embrace him, maybe even more, but I knew I couldn’t.  _Not now, anyway._

“Well, our mother likes to do things on an… extravagant scale, so I can at least get you to Poni Island on one of our Foundation yachts.”  He pointed to the large, luxury boat behind us.  Just then, Lillie met up with us, a new outfit and hairstyle in tow. 

“I picked these clothes up in Malie, before… Do you think they suit me?”  She asked, twirling around. 

“Sure do!  You’ve got to teach me how to do that with your hair!”  I cheered my friend on. 

“You look… Fantastic!”  Hau was blushing, hard. 

“Thanks, Hau.”  She sauntered over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  He looked like he could pass out.  Gladion cringed at the sight of his sister kissing him, and the fact that Hau didn’t exactly seem to hate it. 

“I.. I want to be like you, Moon.  I want to be strong enough to face any trial.  That’s why I’m going to try my hardest!  This is my Z-Powered form! Now I’m ready to use my full force, too!”  She exclaimed, hitting a weak, but adorable attempt at a Z-Pose. 

“Alright, everyone ready to go?”  Gladion asked, looking around at us. 

“Actually…”  Hau began. We all looked at him in surprise. “I’m not going.  I’m going to train even harder.  I keep getting saved by Moon and her Pokémon, don’t I?  I’ve gotta do something about it...  I’ve gotta be able to save Pokémon on my own! If I can’t do that, I’ll never be an Island Kahuna.  And, I still haven’t done Acerola’s trial or anything.  I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.  Guess I should wish you guys a good trip, then, huh?”  He said, in his signature hand behind the head pose. “I’m gonna train myself and my team up real good before I see you again, Moon!  Be ready for the shock of a lifetime!”  He exclaimed, fist up in the air. 

“Looking forward to it.”  I laughed, fist bumping, before he pulled me into a hug.  Lillie was waiting eagerly for her turn.  They embraced tightly, before he paged Charizard and left the Aether Paradise. 

“Alright, let’s go, then.”  Gladion directed us.

“Come on, Moon!  Let’s show the world what we can really do!”  Lillie cheered and grabbed my hand, and we skipped onto the gigantic boat. 

The ride to Poni was a quick, yet scenic one. 

“Poni Island…. Almost no one lives on it, but you’ll find a whole lot of nature to explore here.”  Gladion explained, like a tour guide. 

“Gladion?  Thank you for this.”  Lillie looked up at her brother with sparkling eyes.  “But I just want you to know that… When you took Null and left Aether Paradise two years ago… You left me alone with Mother!  She was so bad after you left!  If I hadn’t had Wicke with me…”  Lillie recalled accusingly, tears welling in her eyes. 

“I’m sorry… I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.  All I could think about back then was finding a way to save Null…  That was the battle I was fighting.  But now, you’ve found your own battle to fight.  I know you can handle it.”  He encouraged her, and let her hug him, her tears falling onto his hoodie once again.  I looked on apprehensively, not sure of what’s to come.   

“Moon, I’m okay.”  She sniffed, breaking away from Gladion.  “You don’t have to worry.  I know what I have to do now.”  She said, gaining her confidence back.  “And.. I don’t know.  Maybe it sounds strange, but… I’m kind of excited.”  She nodded towards me.  I nodded back, and grabbed my bag as we docked. 

“Go.  Find the Kahuna.  The Kahuna of Poni Island also protects the shrine where Alola’s people worship the Legendary Pokémon.  Maybe they will know something that might help you.”  Gladion suggested, and I knew that this would be the last time I would see him for a while.  How I wished I could just drop everything and stay with him.  To kiss him and have him tell me everything’s going to be alright. At the very least, to hug him goodbye. But instead, we both stood there awkwardly before Lillie chirped that we need to get going.  I gave him a sad, awkward wave, before I followed off the boat, him returning the favor.  Once we were on land again, I looked back at him one more time before he took off, and we made eye contact.  I could’ve sworn I saw him smiling at me as his boat headed off in the distance.    

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the Chapter: Everything has Changed by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran


	6. Take me to the Finish Line

Lillie and I proceeded to walk through the harbor, not really knowing where to go.  After a while of wandering, we were met by a sternly looking older man who called himself the chief of the Seafolk.  He explained to us that this was the Seafolk Village, a port habituated by people with a desire to lead a slower-paced lifestyle, much different from that of a larger city like Hau’oli or Malie.  They are a culture of merchants and traders, combined with the experience and poise of veteran trainers, alluding much to what we would find on the rest of the island.  We explained that we were looking for the Kahuna, and he directed us to Hapu’s house on the outskirts of the village, figuring that she would be able to help. We said our thanks and headed northeast of the Village. 

           

            “Let’s go, Moon!  It will be good to see Hapu and Mudsdale again!  I’ll do my best to keep up!”  Lillie exclaimed, looking dreamily up at the sky.  “Yeah.. I’ll be fine! I’ve got Max Repels with me.  And I’ve got you, too…” She trailed off.      

“No worries, Lillie!  We’ll be there in no time.”  I replied confidently.  I could tell that my friend was apprehensive about our journey to come. 

“Right…  So, Poni Island.. It’s a completely different kind of island, isn’t it?”  She asked me, the confidence that she had a minute ago waning drastically. 

“Yeah, it really seems like a place with a lot of strong Pokémon and trainers.  Could be a good place to train, though.”  I wondered for a minute, giving myself a mental note to come back here sometime before I challenge the Elite Four. 

“Moon, thank you so much, again, for coming here with me.. for everything, really.  I’m so sorry about my mother and… _all_ of this.”  She apologized, her stress continuing to build. 

“Lillie, you and your brother really are a lot alike, huh?  Even if he won’t admit it… Anyway… we’ve got to stay optimistic.  We’ll get through this, together.  I’ve made my choice- and there’s no other option but to keep going.” I replied, trying to make her feel a little better with everything that was happening. 

“Thank you.. You always know just what to say!” She declared, regaining some of her enthusiastic disposition.  “So.. You and Gladion sure seemed to get along pretty well, don’t you think?”  She asked eagerly, not beating around the bush.

“Wha- oh!  Um, I guess so...”  I replied, running my hands through my hair, and looking anywhere but at her, trying to camouflage the red tint that my cheeks had turned. 

“He’s always been kind and gentle, but over the years he’s grown somewhat of a hard exterior.  I think you two are very similar in that way.  You’re both determined, independent, and strong.  I think… It’s no wonder why you would bond with him, honestly.”  She explained, causing me to stare back in surprise for a second. 

“Yeah… He’s definitely not as stoic and brooding as he lets on, that’s for sure.  He really cares about you, Lil.”  I told her geninuely, smiling brightly.  Lillie smiled her thanks, but luckily, our conversation was stopped short at the sight of what could only be Hapu’s house.  Her giant Mudsdale was perched outside, grazing in the grass surrounding the home. We greeted the horse Pokémon, who proved to be excited to see us, before knocking on the door, where we were greeted by our old friend.  We had met Hapu earlier on in our journey, when we were on Akala, and quickly became good friends with the girl. 

“Oh!  Been a while, Moon!  And you brought Lillie along, too?”  Hapu greeted us, and moved aside so we could step in. 

“Hey, Hapu!  Thanks for inviting us inside.”  I expressed my gratitude to my friend.

“Yes.  It’s good to see you again, Hapu!”  Lillie exclaimed. 

 “You look different now… Like you’re ready to go all out somehow.”  She noted at Lillie’s new look, deep in thought, hand bracing her chin. 

“Thank you, Hapu.  I’ve finally discovered what I need to do.  So, this is my Z-powered form!”  She explained, hitting that faux-z-pose once again. 

“Ho! Then you do your best, Lillie!  I’m proud of you.  Both of you.”  Hapu cheered us on. 

“Thank you!  So Hapu, do you know where we can find the Kahuna?”  I asked as the chat died down.

“The Kahuna?  Hmm..  Don’t have one here on Poni.”  She explained, a worried look growing on her face.

“What?!”  Lillie and I shouted in unison. 

“Now what do we do, Moon?”  Lillie asked me, the anxiety that had vanished when we met up with Hapu showing to be present again. 

“Hmph… Well, I suppose the time might be right now…. I already finished up my battle against that odd little thing that appeared out of the sky…”  Hapu began, causing Lillie and I to snap back to reality.  “All right.  Let us proceed to the ruins.  You stick with me, you two.”  The trainer directed, and Lillie and I followed in confusion. 

“Moon, we just have to keep going, right?  But then again.. You are a trainer, aren’t you? I suppose you always keep moving forward!”  Lillie whispered to me, not taking her eyes off of Hapu out in front. 

“Right.  We don’t have any other choice.  And we can’t get separated this time.  Let’s stay close behind!”  I whispered back, staying focused on the path ahead. 

“We’re headed for the Ruins of Hope.  We’ll hit the Poni Breaker Coast first.  Stay close, and I’ll guide you two through.” Hapu explained to us, gesturing up ahead. 

“The Ruins of Hope... That is where the guardian of Poni Island will be.  That is where Tapu Fini lives.  Let’s go!” Lillie shouted as she ran ahead. I quickly followed after her, as we came up on the Poni Breaker Coast.  We made our way carefully through the slippery area, before finally reaching the ruins. 

 

“The Ruins of Hope… What is this place?”  I asked the other two, looking around. 

“The air feels so.. Oppressive…”  Lillie observed, rubbing her arms.  “But, maybe Nebby can return to normal if we can find the Island Guardian!  The people believe that the guardian deity of these islands, Tapu Fini, can wash away any impurities with its mystic water…”  Lillie explained to me, reaching around her shoulder for the water bottle in her backpack, and seeing if Nebby has made any reaction. 

“That sounds promising…” I reassured her, despite the fact that her plan may be a little lofty. 

“That’s right it does!  We have to do everything we can to return Nebby back to normal.” Lillie nodded her head at me, moving forward. 

“When Hapu spoke of an “off little thing” from the sky.. Do you think it could’ve been a beast?  Do you think we should ask her?”  I asked Lillie, afraid to upset her, or to bring back any memories of the other night, but at the same time, desperate for more information that could help us. 

“I don’t know.. What do you think she brought us here for?”  She asked, and I shook my head.  “I’ve read about them, you know.  Alola’s sacred ruins, and the guardian deities worshipped within them.”  Lillie pointed out, showing me the ancient writing on the walls.  “They go wherever they want, so it’s not easy to meet them..  But if they are summoned here at the ruins, they do sometimes appear.” Lillie disclosed to me, explaining her plan to save Nebby more clearly.  “The books say that they are, well, capricious.  Encounters with them do not always end up as you hope they will. Maybe that explains why even coming here hasn’t evoked any response from Nebby.”  She noted with a worried expression.  I twisted my lips in response. 

“Oh!  There’s Hapu!”  Lillie whispered and pointed towards the other girl, who was kneeling before the relic situated at the top of the ruins. 

“I give my thanks for your great blessing.  As Kahuna, I will do my best for the people and the Pokémon of Alola.”  Hapu said solemnly, taking a moment of silence.  Looking up, she finally noticed us.  “Oh! So you two were watching?”  She asked us in embarrassment.  Lillie and I looked at each other awkwardly in response. “The Kahunas are chosen by the Pokémon we worship here in Alola-our sacred guardians.  They are chosen from among the people living on the island each guardian watches over.  Lillie told me that you’re pretty new to our parts, eh, Moon?  You came to Alola from far off, right?  You must really be something, then.  I heard how you were given a sparkling stone by the Tapu, even as a stranger to our shores…”  She paused, taking a second to glance at the relic to her right.  “My grandfather… My grandfather was also chosen for this honor, the honor of being our island’s Kahuna.  But, he died suddenly some years back, and we were left without a Kahuna on Poni.  I tried to follow in his footsteps, but I was not chosen by the Tapu back then.  So, I set out on my own sort of island challenge, traveling Alola and trying to grow stronger.  Lillie.  The Kahuna you wished to meet is right here.”  She paused again, standing up and looking at us, commanding attention.  “So, you two want to know about Solgaleo who we pay tribute to at the Altar of the Sunne?”  Hapu asked, making her way back to us. 

“Oh, of course!  Please, Kahuna Hapu, tell us about the legendary Pokémon!”  Lillie asked politely of the newly crowned Kahuna, clasping her hands in front of her.  I nodded in agreement, smiling brightly at the new Kahuna.  “My mother disappeared into the beast’s world… I know that she was a terrible person.. but, she is still my mother.  I need to see her again, to tell her something.  That’s why I want to ask the legendary Pokémon for its help..  The legendary Pokémon is the only one who can go back and forth between worlds!” Lillie pointed out, looking determined.     

“And I’m here to help in any way I can.  We have to save Lusamine and Nebby!”  I expressed my support for my friend and her family. 

“The world of the beasts, eh… Is that what that thing was that came to Poni?  A beast… Tapu Fini and I tried to fight it, but it nearly did us both in.  We didn’t stand a chance… All right.  I will tell you what I know.”  Hapu replied, keeping her solemn composure.

“Oh, thank you, Hapu!”  Lillie exclaimed, hands forming a praying motion in front of her mouth. 

“But- what I know is not much.  Just that there is a ceremony held for the legendary Pokémon at the altar.  A ceremony that uses two particular flutes to somehow give the legendary Pokémon power.” Hapu explained to us, still deep in thought. 

“Lillie- the flute that Gladion gave us!”  I whispered to her, bumping her elbow. 

“Oh, right.. This… This is the Moon Flute.  It seems like my mother had it…. We know that we have to somehow find the other flute, and we were hoping you would know where to look.”  Lillie explained, handing the instrument over to the Kahuna.

“Ho!  That looks to be the flute that used to reside at the lake on Ula’Ula.  The other is said to be held on Exeggutor Island. I do not know why there of all places, but it has been passed down and that’s where it belongs.”  Hapu enlightened us, causing our faces to light up with excitement, that we might finally have some answers. 

“Exeggutor Island… I think I’ve read about it before. It’s an uninhabited island off the coast of Poni, isn’t that right?”  Lillie asked, and Hapu nodded, confirming Lillie’s suspicions. 

“Maybe that’s why the flute is located there- it must be difficult to get to, right?”  I asked, my own suspicions arising now.   

“Most likely.  The chief of the Seafolk should be able to help you get to the island, and I’ll wait for you at my place.”  Hapu directed us, as we headed out of the ruins. 

“Thank you so much, Hapu.”  Lillie bowed graciously.

“Yeah, we really appreciate all of your help.” I added, grateful to finally have some sort of a concrete plan.

“No problem.  That’s what friends do.”  Hapu nodded as we came up on her house. 

“F-friends?  An amazing trainer like Hapu considers me… A friend?”  Lillie asked the shorter girl in confusion.

“Of course!  Now, you two have quite the journey ahead of you, so you better get going.” Hapu suggested, looking at her watch.

“Thank you, Hapu!  I will not give up, no matter what!”  Lillie exclaimes, and we made our way back to the village.  We found the chief again, and he gave us a lift to Exeggutor Island in his boat. 

 

“Let’s go find that flute!  Right?  Trainers really can go anywhere as long as they have their Pokémon, can’t they?  I think I’m beginning to understand the appeal.” Lillie pondered, as we walked through the grass toward our destination.

“That’s right, Lil.  Being a trainer, you feel on top of the world when you accomplish something with your Pokémon.”  I explained to her.

“I feel like trainers can really open up the door to any future as long as they have their Pokémon.  That’s what it looks like to me when I see you, Moon.  And Hapu, and Hau, too- Even Gladion!”  Lillie giggled, eyes closed in reminiscence. 

“Yeah, that’s why I plan to become the Champion of the Alola region.  With my team by my side!”  I exclaimed, and my friend cheered in response.  “Speaking of Hau, what was that little public display of affection you put on before we left for Poni?”  I asked her, a sing-songy twinge threatening to join my tone. 

“Uhmmm, what do you mean?”  Lillie asked, trying to be oblivious. 

“Lillie, come on!  That kiss on the cheek?  I mean you weren’t exactly hiding anything _then_. Hau totally flipped out, too, and you know it!”  I teased, egging her on.  I shouldn’t be doing this, because she could tease me about her brother at any minute, and I definitely didn’t want that. 

“I don’t know what came over me- I just kind of did it!” Lillie blurted, clearly flabbergasted at the thought that her feelings could be reciprocated. 

“Lillie, I think Hau might like you too!”  I pointed out, leaving Lillie’s cheeks red.

“Really?  You think so?”  She asked animatedly.  “I don’t know…. With all of the drama with my mother, I’m not exactly sure it’s the right time to act on any of these feelings…”  She went on worriedly. 

“Hey, I understand.  If it’s not the right time, then it’s not the right time.  If it’s meant to happen, then it will naturally.” I explained, putting a hand on her shoulder.  She thanked me, and we kept on walking through the smaller island. 

“Oh!  It’s started to rain…  Rain in Alola, huh? My clothes are getting wet…”  Lillie scoffed, upset about her new outfit getting ruined.  “Looking out at the rain like this..  Reminds me of this one time when I was little.  I’d seen it in a movie.. This man singing and dancing in the rain.  It captivated me so much that I had to try it myself.  My mother spotted me out in the rain, and she was so shocked that she ran right out after me without even bothering to get an umbrella.  And then..  She smiled.  And she danced with me in the rain.  Of course we both ended catching a cold, so she let me sleep in her big bed with her. I was so happy that I kept waking her up again and again, just to be sure it wasn’t a dream..”  Lillie trailed off, and I couldn’t tell if those were tears or raindrops streaming down her face.  “But…  Then she changed.  And all she would think about was the Ultra Beasts.  And Null and Nebby…. They both ended up suffering so much, and I couldn’t do anything… But you know what, Moon?  Whenever I feel like there’s nothing that I can do, you seem to show up, and you do something.  Every time, you’ve shown me that it’s possible to do something, even when you’re down.”  Lillie exhaled, smiling over at me.

“Oh, Lillie, you know I’m always here for you, no matter what.”  I smiled back at her.

“Even the first time we met, Moon.  Nebby was being attacked, and all I could do was look on in horror, and at Aether Paradise, all I could do was wait for you and the others to save me.  Whenever I’m in any sort of trouble, you’re always there-I…  It must be nice, knowing what you want to do.  I really admire that.  I think..  I’d like to become a trainer, too, and travel together with you, Moon.  I want to become a trainer, and learn all the things you know.”  Lillie went on, and it felt so good to have a friend who I knew I could trust with anything, and who I knew trusts me wholeheartedly, too.  I had no problems with letting her vent and giving her advice and support, because honestly, she needed it. 

“I think that’s a great idea, Lillie.  Maybe after all of this is over, you can talk to Professor Kukui, or I could even help you get your first Pokémon.”  I suggested, as we finally approached the shrine that held the Sun Flute.

“Ah!  Maybe there really are good omens sometimes, wouldn’t you say?”  She asked me, both of us relieved to have found the missing puzzle piece.  “Now we have the Sun Flute and the Moon Flute.  I don’t know if it really will summon the legendary Pokémon, but we can at least try!  If nothing else, we’ll have sounded the flutes in offering like people used to do. So, thank you for coming this far with me, Moon!”  Lillie exclaimed, eyes crinkled with joy.

“Of course, Lillie!  Now, let’s go meet the chief of the Seafolk and get back to Poni Island!”  I cheered, as we followed the path we took to get to the flute’s hiding place, and hopped back on the chief’s boat back to the mainland.  We made our way back to the area near Hapu’s house, where we were stopped by Plumeria, Team Skull’s admin. 

 

“You’re from Team Skull.  What is it that you want from us?”  Lillie asked the older girl valiantly. 

“Hmmph.  You, girlie… Lillie, right?  You really ready to do this finally?”  Plumeria asked, a more positive composure outfitting her this time.  Lillie and I just looked at each other, my hand reverting to reaching for one of the Pokeballs on my belt out of habit. 

“That’s enough.  No one wants to see a sore loser.”  The pink-haired girl put her hands up in defense when she noticed my readiness to battle.  “To be honest, I’ve treated you really badly.  Even if I was just doing the work the president told me to do, I shouldn’t have done all that.  Even if I apologize now, I know it’s probably too late for you to forgive me, though.” Plumeria went on, looking at the ground.   

“The president… My mother is- she’s selfish. She lavishes her love only on those she deems worthy, not caring whether it is wanted or not, but I will save her. I still have something I need to tell her.  And I think I can save Guzma as well.”  Lillie nodded, holding her fist to her heart.

“You guys are good kids.  See, Guzma…  He really likes the president.  She’s the only adult who ever seemed to see how strong he was.”  Plumeria began, finally able to really look at us.  “You know, deep down, you’re kind of like the president.  You’ve gone in a different direction, but I can tell you have the same strength in your convictions.  I know you probably don’t want to hear that, but it’s true.”  She noted towards Lillie, before continuing.  “Bring Guzma back, if you can.  I know you’ve got no reason to help, but no one can make up for what they’ve done if they’re gone.”  She explained to Lillie, and I knew that she could be trusted.  Perhaps we could even be friends when this is all over. 

“And you, Moon.  Looks like you were special after all.  You didn’t just sand up to Team Skull.  You even took on the darkness inside Aether.  Looks like you’re the real deal.  The realest Pokémon trainer I’ve seen around.  Take good care of our little princess here.  This is my way of saying sorry, okay?  Take it.  It’s the Poisonium Z.”  Plumeria suggested, handing me the fuchsia crystal.  I offered my fist up to her, and she obliged, fist bumping me with a smirk. I made a mental note to thank her after this is all over.  “Oh yeah, you got your first stone directly from Tapu Koko, didn’t you, Moon?  You’d better take care of it.  That’s one special Z-Ring you’ve got there.  A trainer is only a trainer because of the Pokémon with them.  If you ever forget that, you’ll bring the wrath of the Tapu down upon yourself. You should be fine, though...  I’m out of here.”  She called as she walked off calmly. 

“Thanks, Plumeria!”  I called after her, and we continued on. 

“I suppose Team Skull is not all bad… Thanks for helping me again, Moon.”  Lillie said, grabbing my arm, pulling me forward as she ran ahead.  “All right!  Let’s go to the altar!  The Vast Poni Canyon lies ahead of us!”  Lille cried out into the giant valley in front of us. 

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the chapter - Born to Die by Lana Del Rey


	7. We were Born to Make History

We found Hapu and Mudsdale waiting for us a little ways into the canyon. 

“There you are.  Did everything go well?”  Hapu asked us as we caught up with her.  

“Yes, it did!  We found the other flute with no problem!”  Lillie exclaimed with joy. 

“Great!  I’m going to go on ahead and scout out our path.  You guys lay low and hold up the rear.  I don’t know where exactly the altar is- it’s not really the type of place to show up on a map, but I assume it’s somewhere at the top of the canyon, so keep an eye out.”  Hapu explained from her seat on Mudsdale’s back, looking out at the canyon, using her hand as a visor against the Sun.  “Moon, I think you should be able to defend the two of you from any wild Pokémon or trainers you may see, so don’t worry too much about getting separated from me. I’ll see you guys in a bit.”  Hapu explained before directing Mudsdale forward in a quick trot.  Lillie and I continued on through the canyon, trying to find the altar, walking all too close to the cliffsides for either of our comfort zones, and battling the occasional trainer or wild Pokémon.  Apparently, word had gotten out about the new Pokémon League, and trainers had flocked to Poni Island in search of the final Trial Captain.  Rumor has it she hangs out somewhere in this area. 

“Do you think she’s really here, Lil?”  I asked excitedly, the thought of finally clearing my last trial making my blood rush. 

“I don’t know, Moon… This place is huge- even if she is, we may not even run into her…”  She trailed off, and we went on through the huge valley before coming to stop in front of a cave.  Both of us apprehensive to go in, we hesitated.

“I feel like we’re pretty deep into the valley… Do you think Hapu went through here?”  Lillie asked, trying to listen for any sign of Mudsdale.

“I don’t think Mudsdale could fit through this opening, though she could’ve recalled him…”  I dictated my thoughts, looking for any sign of hoof prints in the dirt. 

“Hey! What are a couple of trainers doing out this far?”  A blonde girl, covered in paint splatters called out to us, making her way in our direction.  “Oh! Now that is a great composition! I could paint a picture of you- the visitors to Poni!”  She stopped, and held her hands up in a rectangle, squinting one eye like she was taking a picture.  “Guess I should introduce myself, though.  I’m Mina.  I’m the trial captain of Poni Island.  I mean, I sort of am.  I actually just wander around doing my art, so I don’t have an actual trial or anything… But the Vast Poni Canyon sure is a wonder, huh?  Can you blame me for wanting to spend so much of my time here?” She asked the both of us rhetorically. “Once you’ve been through this place, you can really get to understand why that dude Ilima designed his trial the way he did, right?”  She asked, almost in a daze.

“You know Ilima?”  I asked.  “His was the first trial I faced!  We became pretty good friends after that- he was sort of a mentor to me for a while…” I explained, reminiscing on my first few weeks as a trainer, back on Melemele Island.

“Oh, yeah.  Ohhh, yeah.  Ilima and I go way back.  We went to the Pokémon school together…  Anyway, here. Take this as a token of our acquaintance.  It’s the Fairium Z.”  Her breathy voice and laid-back attitude contagious, she handed me the pink crystal. I pocketed it and thanked her. 

“I’m the captain and all, so I’ve gotta come up with a trial instead of just giving these out…. Maybe it could involve painting pictures and picking flowers- maybe a trial like that would be cool, but for now….” She trailed off.  “What about you?  I’ve got an extra one, if you’d like it.  Have you started your trials, yet?”  She asked, looking at Lillie.

“Oh, no…  I’m no trainer.  Not yet, anyway…  But thank you.  I know how you could help me, though…  Did you see a girl riding a Mudsdale come this way, by chance?”  She asked, getting anxious as the sun began to set. 

“I saw her not too long ago… Don’t know where she went, though.”  Mina explained, looking off into the distance.

“Do you know where this cave leads to?”  Lillie asked the question that was on my mind.

“If you follow the path inside this cave, you’ll reach higher ground.  Keep going up, and you’ll reach some sort of ruins.  It’s a great place to sketch- I go that way all the time, but I’m heading home now, otherwise I’d show you guys the way.  I’d be careful if I were you, though, it’ll be getting dark soon..  See ya later, then!  Alola, Alola!”  Mina warned, before heading back the way she came from.

“Some old ruins at the top of the canyon sounds good enough for me!  Come on, let’s hurry up and get through this cave!”  I suggested to Lillie, who complied, following me into the cave.  It wasn’t too dark inside thanks to a few cracks in the ceiling letting light creep in.  After what felt like an hour of perusing through the cave, we ended up outside again, and this time we were on a ledge that had to be at least fifty feet above the ground, and there was a bridge across from us that would take us even higher.  Both of us were really feeling the nerves now.  Lillie went out in front, but she stopped right before the bridge, turning to face me. 

“Phew…  This canyon truly is a difficult path to walk.  But walking it with you sure makes it seem like nothing at all!  You know what?  I’ve overcome my fears enough to cross even a high bridge like this one! I am not going to be afraid of heights anymore.  Next time, I should even be able to tackle that bridge on Mahalo trail!”  She exclaimed bravely, bringing us both back to the first time we met.  “Watch this! This is my trial!”  She cheered, and I smiled and put my hand on her shoulder in support.    

“I know you can.  Together!  Let’s go, careful!”  I prompted her, and we both stepped slowly onto the bridge.  Quickly enough, we had made it to the other side. 

“Oh…. Moon!  I did it!  _We_ did it!  All the way across!  I’ve cleared my trial!  I completed my first trial!  Amazing right?”  Lillie asked me excitedly. 

“Yeah, if you can get through this, the actual trials will be like nothing!”  I waved my hand in the air nonchalantly, trying to project more confidence into my friend for the trials of the coming future. 

“Hmph.  Yeah. Let’s do this!”  Lillie cheered, and we continued on, not looking to waste any time.  Eventually, we came upon another cave.  Groaning, we went inside, only this cave wasn’t quite like the last one. 

“What is this place?”  Lillie asked, looking around.

“It..  Looks like an old trial site, I think.  This is so weird…”  I noted, squatting down to look at an old plaque in the ground.  “Look!”  I pointed to the words that were carved into the plaque, and Lillie came hurrying to my side.  “Ahead lies a sacred ground of trials.  None who do not take part in its trials will be allowed to continue ahead.  Those lacking the courage to defeat the Totem guarding this land will be denied entry.  But those who believe in their Pokémon and walk beside them shall gain great power!” I read, following the words with my finger.  “So, I have to battle another Totem Pokémon if we want to get through, no problem.” I explained, cracking my neck and my knuckles.  “I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again.  Lillie, stay close.  Totem Pokémon can be tricky, and they’re more powerful than regular Pokémon.”  I explained, and she nodded, looking worried.  As we started walking forward, we heard a pounding that sounded an awful lot like something very large moving somewhere in the cave. 

“W-what was that?!”  Lillie asked, hiding behind me. 

“Don’t worry, just stay calm.  I’ll handle this.”  I directed, as I readied myself and grasped one of my Pokeballs, just in case. Just then, one of the biggest Pokémon I’ve ever seen jumped down from above, scaring both Lillie and I half to death. Lillie screamed, and I put my hand out to block her, simultaneously sending out my Ribombee.  The Totem Pokémon’s aura flared up, dousing it in a red light that felt like it could have blinded either of us, had it really wanted to.  It roared and called an ally, its pre-evolution, a feisty-looking Hakamo-o. Both looked so strong, and I was really tempted to catch them, but I already had my trusty fighting-type Passimian on my team.  I commanded my Ribombee to keep an eye out for Hakamo-o’s attacks, and dodge them the best that it could. 

“Dazzling Gleam on Kommo-o, go!”  I shouted, and my partner sent out a bright pink light, causing the Kommo-o to fall in one clean sweep, being super-susceptible to fairy-type attacks.  “Dazzling Gleam, again!”  I yelled, and my Pokémon used the move again, this time on the ally, knocking it out quickly, once more.         

“Hurry!  Before they wake back up again!”  I shouted, grabbing Lillie’s hand and running out of the cave.  Finally glad to be back out in the open, we collapsed against a small cliff.  Both of us catching our breath, we started a giggle-fest. 

“Moon!  You’ve cleared all seven trials of Alola’s Island Challenge now, plus an extra one! That’s amazing!  You’ve pushed yourself beyond the limits and really become a great trainer, haven’t you?  And your Pokémon could never have done it without you.”  She cheered, handing me a couple of max potions and ethers before getting up.  “Come on. Let’s go find Hapu and the Altar of the Sunne.”  She said confidently, offering me a hand.  Taking it, I hopped up, and we walked toward what looked to be the base of the altar.  Just then, we noticed Hapu up ahead. 

“Ah, you made it.”  Hapu said calmly. 

“Yeah, though Moon had to help me out of all sorts of trouble.”  Lillie explained, pointing towards the trial site.

“Nah, Lillie was totally brave, and she helped me heal my Pokémon.  I couldn’t have done it without her.”  I praised, nudging her arm. 

“Nothing wrong with that.  People cannot survive all on their own.  They’ve got to help one another out.  Same for Pokemon, too.  That is what my grandfather used to say..  Our history tells that the Vast Poni Canyon Trial was the very first trial to ever be held, and you did a fine job clearing it, just as expected, Moon… Hey, I’d like to see this battling skill of yours that makes Lillie smile so much.”  Hapu suggested, bringing up the point that I still had to battle her to complete my Poni Grand Trial- my last Grand Trial. 

“Just so!  It is my Grand Trial!  I may be young, but that does not mean that I will be outdone by any of those other Kahunas! I am certain that my bonds with Mudsdale and the rest of my team are the closest that you’ll find anywhere in Alola!” Hapu exclaimed, sending out her Alolan Dugtrio.  “Having a Z-Ring like we do means that we battle with the Tapus beside us!”  She explained, and I could feel all of the energy of Poni Island pulsing through me. 

“Passimian, go!  Use Close Combat, now!”  I yelled, making the depths of the canyon echo with my voice and the sound of my Pokémon’s cry.  It didn’t take much to defeat Hapu, with my Passimian, Slowbro and Decidueye’s power proving to be as strong as ever, thoroughly impressing Hapu in turn. 

“Oho, you sure showed me.  That was enjoyable, and impressive.  Looks like I cannot beat you even when I’m not holding back.  I appreciate this chance, Moon.  It has really taught me a few things..  Take your Groundium Z, then.”  She said as she handed me the amber-colored crystal and moving to shake my hand.

“Thanks, Hapu.  It really means a lot, And I’m proud of how far you’ve come, too.”  I expressed my thoughts, shaking her hand back.

“Thank you.  Phew, well, I must applaud you, Lillie.  You sure found a prodigious trainer to befriend.”  Hapu noted, nodding at Lillie, who giggled in delight. “Then go on!  Head straight through here and find the Altar!”  Hapu explained, and Lillie and I high-fived before heading towards the stairs.         

 

“I can feel the power of the Sun.  Nebby…  I’m going to make my mother wake up and see reason before I send you back to my old world! I’m going to make her hear me.. I’m going to tell her how I feel! Even if I’m not a trainer, I can still do that much!”  Lillie sang as we ascended the stairs. 

“Lillie, we’ll do this.  We’ve come this far!”  I cheered, as we finally made our way to the top. 

“The Altar of the Sunne…”  I started, looking around me at the beautiful, ancient shrine, and taking in the view of Poni’s beautiful landscapes.

“The Moon Flute.. It feels like it was made to fit in my hand.  I think I can play it…”  Lillie continued for me, holding the Moon Flute in front of her.  “Moon- you should stand over there, quick, before the sun goes down.  We only have a few minutes from the looks of it.  Take the Sun Flute.”  She directed, and I obliged, thankful that she knew what to do.  She retrieved Nebby from her bag and placed it on the ground in the center of the altar. 

“On my count, play the flute!  One… two… three!”  Lillie yelled to me from across the altar, and we both blew into our respective flutes at the same time, causing Nebby to float into the air. 

“NEBBY! What’s… Happening?”  Lillie shouted, wind whipping furiously, sending dirt our way. Just then, a bright white light surrounded Nebby, and Lillie and I ran to each other. 

“What is it?”  I shouted, so that Lillie could hear me over the sound of the wind.

“I don’t know!  There’s not much we can do other than watch what happens!”  Lillie shouted back, and we both turned back to Nebby. It began to descend, and the light dimmed down before dying out completely.  Finally able to see, it was evident that Nebby had taken on an new form all-together.   

“Nebby.. Thank goodness… You’re all right… Please don’t even do that again!  You made me worry so much!  And I never imagined that sounding the flutes would give you so much power, or let you evolve into the Legendary Pokemon!  Not in all my reading…. Never did I ever come across any hint that you would evolve into the Legendary Pokémon!”  Lillie shouted as she ran up to Nebby, letting the giant lion nuzzle her. I ran up to the side of it, patting it as it roared in rejoice. 

“Please, Solgaleo…. No, Nebby.  Please, I need to see my mother.”  She asked desperately, looking into its eyes.  It roared once more, and this time, an Ultra Wormhole erupted from the sky. 

“Moon, please.  It’s now or never.  Please, come with me.”  She asked of me as she climbed onto Solgaleo’s back, extending a hand for me. 

“Of course.”  I nodded, taking her hand, as we sped off into Ultra Space. 

 

Where we ended up was like nothing I could have ever imagined.  It was like something out of a horror movie, beautiful yet horrifying all at the same time. 

“How… Surprising.  It’s more beautiful than I would have expected.. But it’s so cold, and the air is so thick here… It.. almost hurts to breathe..”  Lillie chided, shivering and looking around. 

“You’re right..”  I trailed off, still in shock of my surroundings. 

“We should go…  What is it?”  Lillie asked, looking down at Nebby, who was hesitating.  “Are you telling us that you have to stay here?”  Lillie asked it, eyes wide in fear. 

“I think so- I think it wants to conserve its energy so that it can create another Ultra Wormhole when we’re ready to leave..”  I explained, not feeling much better than she was at the fact that we have to go on without Solgaleo’s help. 

“I’m.. I’m so grateful to you for bringing me here, Nebby.  Thank you! I guess we have to go the rest of the way ourselves.  We’ll be back, soon, and then we can finally go home.”  Lillie sighed, patting Nebby on its head.  We turned away from Nebby and began walking forward.  Just then, we noticed Guzma sitting in some sort of tree, looking depressed. 

“Guzma?”  I asked, apprehensive to see an enemy, but also relieved to see someone we knew. 

“You?  Kid wonder?”  He chided, looking up from his dazed state.  “I’m the Team Skull boss, and I’ve never been scared of nothing or nobody. Hell, I live my life making people scared of _me_!  So listen to what big, bad Guzma has to say…”  He paused for dramatic effect, clearly having spent too much time around Lusamine.  “Y’all are stupid!”  He yelled, getting up from his perch and putting is hands on his hips.  “How in the world did you even get to this place? I’ve got no idea how you did it, but here you are.  It’s all dark here, I’ve got no clue what’s going on, and there’s beasts everywhere. I tried to catch one of those things, but it possessed me!  And that’s when it happened!  My body, my mind… They started running wild, and I couldn’t do anything about it!  It was like I became somebody else, and I finally felt what fear feels like!  It was terrifying!  I may be the Team Skull boss, and I’ve never been scared of nothing or nobody, but.. that lady.. she’s on another level!  She’s way too far gone!  She lost her mind over those Ultra Beasts.  There’s no talking to her, no reasoning with her.. She’s just gone.” Guzma explained, shaking his head, then cupping his chin in his hands. 

“That doesn’t change anything.  I still have to go!  That’s my mother, and I can’t just leave her now that we finally got here!” Lillie explained to the older man, and I nodded in backup. 

“Whatever, man.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”  Guzma shook his head again and took his seat back in his perch. 

“Come on, Lillie.  We can come back for him later.”  I directed her forward, where Lusamine was waiting.  She noticed us approaching and scoffed in disapproval.  The Ultra Beast had taken control of her, just like Guzma had explained to us.  Fused with Nihilego, Lusamine had turned dark, and not just metaphorically.  Her eyes, her hair, everything had been possessed. It was like watching a train wreck- it was so horrible, yet you couldn’t look away.    

“Look at it..  The world of my Ultra Beasts.  A world where the only thing that exists is the love between Nihilego and myself.. So beautiful…  This is the real paradise!”  She began, floating ahead in Nihilego’s body.  “And yet you!  Why must you continue to pester me?  I am sick of you.  Sick through and through!  Who told you that you could come here, to the perfect, beautiful world of my beasts and me? Just leave.  I don’t need you here.. I don’t need you any longer!  Look around you!  Look at this beautiful world that I’ve finally come to!  You want me to go back to that world?  That’s what you’ve come to bother me for?  Even you cannot be that stupid!”  Lusamine screamed, her voice creepily augmented from her fusion with the Ultra Beast. 

“Lillie, she doesn’t mean it!  She’s possessed!”  I whispered to my friend, who looked taken aback in fear. 

“Oh no, she means it.  This is her dream.  This is what she’s wanted ever since we lost dad.  This is her unkempt rage from years of waiting and bottling everything up.” Lillie explained to me, a determined look in her eye, gaining her composure back.  “Think about what you’re saying!  What about Mr. Guzma!  Don’t you care about what happens to him?”  Lillie yelled back at her mom, causing Guzma to join us at the sound of his name, likely not wanting to miss anything as all of this blows down.  “You always do that.. It’s just like it was back at Aether Paradise… Only thinking of yourself and what you want.  I am the one who is sick of you, Mother!”  Lillie screamed, causing me to step back a little in surprise.  I was glad to see my friend finally getting her feelings towards her mom out.     

“I can live here in my world filled with only the things that I love!  And I will! I don’t care if you are my child or not! I don’t care if you were loyal to me or not!  I don’t care if you’re the rarest Pokémon there is in the world or not!  If you’re not beautiful enough to be worthy of my love, then I don’t need you!  All I need to exist in my world are the things that I want to have with me! Everything else is just a bother to me!” Lusamine bellowed, causing me to cringe at her choice of words. 

“Children are not just _things_ that belong to their parents!  Pokémon are not just _things_ that a trainer can do whatever they want to!  I am alive!  Cosmog is alive!  We are not made for you to just discard when you get bored with us!  That is terrible, Mother!  You are terrible!”  Lillie screamed back, leaning forward a bit and raising her pointer finger toward her mother.  I felt the heat rise between them, and I knew a battle had to be coming soon, so I clasped my hand around one of my Pokeballs and adjusted my stance.    

“Terrible?  _Me_?  How am I any different from any Pokémon trainer, like your little _friend_ there?  What do you do with a Pokémon you can’t use?  You remove it from your party as you please.  Enough with this useless talk, Lillie!  I will never forgive you for stealing Cosmog from me.  Never!  Back when you were small, you would listen to everything I said without question.  For a time, even you were adorable to me, but you’ve changed.  You’ve become ugly.  Ever since you met this girl, Moon, and learned to defy your own mother! Moon!  You hateful little trainer!  How dare you intrude upon this world that was meant for Nihilego and me? With Nihilego’s power, I will show you how wrong you were to come here!”  She screeched, becoming nearly incomprehensible as her emotions began to unravel, and sending out her Clefairy. 

“Metagross!  I need your help!  Use Meteor Mash!”  I shouted, as my Pokémon collided with Lusamine’s causing substantial damage. 

“Moonblast, now!”  She demanded, commanding her Clefairy to aim a pink beam of light at my Metagross. 

“Hang in there, Metagross, use Meteor Mash, again!” I directed, and my Pokémon complied, causing Lusamine’s to fall.   

“Hahaha, Moon.  You’re a good trainer, I’ll give you that.  But you’ll never be able to defeat me!”  She shouted maniacally, any sanity that she may have been holding onto slipping out the window.  “Lilligant! I call upon your beauty!”  She sent out her grass-type.  I recalled my Pokémon, thanking it for its hard work. 

“Decidueye, let’s go!  Your turn!”  I yelled, as I sent out my starter Pokémon.  “Use Brave Bird!”  I shouted, and my partner flew up, and then directly at the target, picking up so much speed it made it look like it was flaming.  The opposing Pokémon could only stand and take the attack, not able to move away fast enough to dodge, falling in turn.  Lusamine sent out her Mismagius next, clearly looking to use a ghost move to take out my Decidueye. 

“Not gonna happen, Lusamine.  Decidueye, use Spirit Shackle!”  I commanded as my Pokémon sent blinding fast arrows at the target, who fell at once, causing Lusamine to gasp in horror. 

“What’s this?  How?  You’ve taken out three of my Pokémon with barely even a dent?  Who are you?  …My gorgeous Milotic, show this pest true beauty!  Use Hydro Pump!”  She shrieked, obviously underestimating me big time. 

“Decidueye, fly up and dodge!”  I shouted, and my Pokémon took to the sky.  Use Leaf Blade, over and over!”  I guided it, and it swooped in and made several sharp jabs at the water Pokémon, essentially freezing it in place, causing it to eventually faint.  “ _You_..”  Lusamine began, floating back down closer to the ground.  “No!  You’re not going to do this to me!  Bewear! My last Pokémon!”  She yelled as she sent out her bear Pokémon.

“Decidueye, return!”  I recalled my partner.  “Thanks for your help.  Now, rest up. Ribombee!  It’s up to you!”  I called, sending out my trusted fly Pokémon.  “The bond that I have created with my Pokémon is unbeatable, Lusamine.” I began as I started up the fairy-type Z-move, thankful that Mina gave the crystal to me earlier today.  “Your time is up!  Ribombee, hear my call, use your full power!  Now, Twinkle Tackle!”  I shouted, hitting my Z-pose, and directing my Pokémon towards the enemy. I knew it before it happened, but that Z-move easily took out Lusamine’s last Pokémon.  Her anger caused her to shake violently from inside the Ultra Beast, making Lillie scream in horror.

“AUghgghhghghhhhhh!!”  The older woman yelped, cringing in pain over her loss and her dangerous choice to fuse with the parasitic beast.

“Mother… Mother!”  Lillie called, trying to get her attention, as more Nihilego fled to the scene.  “Ohhh… help us, Solgaleo!  There are so many Nihilego!”  Lillie sunk to her knees in fear, not wanting to watch her mother in pain any longer. I recalled my Ribombee out of fear that it would get attacked.  Just then, Solgaleo galloped up to us, using its power to separate Lusamine from the Ultra Beast, simultaneously scaring away the onlookers.  Lillie ran straight to her mother’s side. 

“Lillie....  When… Did you start becoming beautiful?”  Lusamine whispered before passing out, causing my friend to shout out in anger, tears streaming down her face.  I swallowed a big lump of grief and turned to Guzma. 

“Guzma!  Get Lusamine, and get on Solgaleo.  I’ll take care of Lillie.  Go!”  I commanded, half-surprised that he listened to me, although leaving this place did make for a pretty good argument.  He cradled Lusamine before climbing on Solgaleo’s back.  I pulled Lillie up, and Nebby created another Ultra Wormhole, this time sending us back to the Altar of the Sun.  Hapu was waiting there, and looked to be seriously relieved upon sight of us. Guzma put Lusamine softly on the ground, before calling a Charizard to take him away before we could even say thank you.  _He probably doesn’t want word getting out that he actually helped us_ , I thought. 

“I was concerned, so I ascended to the altar. And what do I find, but the legendary Pokémon, and a strange hole in the sky…  The two of you look to be unharmed, thankfully.”  Hapu explained, walking over to us. 

“Nebby.. Thank you so much for everything.  Never did I ever imagine that we would go through any of this together.  I know you’ve got to go on our own journey, to get stronger, and to defend Alola from future threats.  I hope we see each other again someday, though...”  Lillie cooed, nuzzling Solgaleo, before it soared off, into the night sky. Lillie wiped her tears, and came over to me, arms outstretched.  I hugged her tightly, the both of us really needing the affection right now.  “Moon, thank you so much.  I don’t have the words to express my gratitude, but we’re friends forever now.”  She cried into my shoulder. 

“Lillie, for the last time, you don’t have to thank me. I’m proud to be your friend, and happy to have helped, and I always will be.  You give me strength, and you inspire me.”  I confided in her, thankful for her sweet nature.     

“Moon, you have Charizard on your ride pager, right?” The Kahuna asked, looking at me. I nodded, and she sighed, pleased to hear that we wouldn’t have to carry Lusamine out of here ourselves.  We both called a Charizard, Hapu climbing on one, and Lillie and I carrying Lusamine onto the other.  It took the both of us to steady her.

“You there, big fellow.  Carry them, please.  The lady is weak, but I do not believe that she is seriously harmed. You should take her to be treated directly.  Moon, you have done well in guiding Lillie, though she is not a trainer.  And Lillie, you too gave it your best.  I am so proud of the both of you, and I am happy to be able to call each of you my friend.”  Hapu declared, her words spoken with the respect and refinement of all of the Kahunas before her.  We thanked her, before going our separate ways.

“To Aether Paradise.  We’re going home, mother.”  Lillie directed the fire Pokémon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the chapter - History Maker by Dean Fujioka
> 
> This chapter's a little longer than the last, but I thought that it all went together better this way.


	8. I see Fire Inside the Mountain

After what had to be nearly an hour of flying, holding on to the Charizard for dear life and trying our best to steady Lusamine, we finally landed at Aether Paradise.  Being the middle of the night, there weren’t many employees around, so I had to use my Slowbro’s Psychic to help bring the older woman up to the main floor- there was no way we could have carried her safely by ourselves.  When we ascended on the elevator, chaos ensued.  As soon as we arrived at the second floor, employees rushed us, assuming we were trespassers.  When they saw that it was Lillie and the half-unconscious president, they rushed in to help, and I recalled Slowbro, thankful for its strong psychic powers. With employees surrounding us, no one moved- everyone was too scared to make any wrong movement.  I stepped up and began barking orders.

“Somebody get us a stretcher, stat!  And page Wicke and Gladion, ASAP!  GO!”  I shouted, gesturing in front of me with my hands. 

“On it, ma’am.”  One of the employees saluted, and a few of them disappeared around the corner. When they came back with Wicke and a stretcher, I directed them to lift Lusamine carefully onto it. 

“She needs to get to the hospital wing, now, please!”  Lillie cried, afraid that her mother’s condition was growing worse with every passing second. 

“Miss Lillie, Moon, what happened?”  Wicke asked us, putting her hand on Lillie’s shoulder.  Lillie just shook her head and let silent tears fall.

“Where is Gladion?  He needs to be here for this, too.”  I dictated, not wanting to relive our little horror story twice. 

“He was asleep, but he should be coming around any minute now.”  Wicke explained, gesturing to the mansion.  “Let’s wait for him here, and then we can head to the hospital wing.” She suggested, rubbing Lillie’s shoulders as she continued to cry silently.  _I think that being back here really made all of this real for her._ Just then, Gladion finally made his entrance. 

“What’s going on?”  He asked us, rubbing his eyes.  “Moon, w-what are you doing back here at this hour?” He asked me confusedly, a blush creeping over his cheeks. 

“Just come with us.  There’s someone that you need to see.  We’ll explain everything.”  I said, grabbing his hand and following the others to the hospital area.  On the way, Lillie and I did explain everything- how we went to Ultra Space with newly evolved Nebby, how Lusamine and Guzma were there, how the Ultra Beast Nihilego can fuse with people, taking over their bodies and minds, how I battled the her, causing a reaction with the fusion, how Nebby was able to separate them, and how the toxins are still in her body, and we’re currently unaware of how to get them out, and how things aren’t looking good for the president of the Aether Foundation right now. 

“Moon…  I know I’ve already thanked you a million times, but I just want you to know how much I appreciate all of your help.  I don’t understand how I got so lucky as to have a friend like you, or why such a strong trainer even wants to be friends with someone like me in the first place, but I seriously don’t know what I would do without you…  Where would we be right now if it weren’t for you?”  Lillie disclosed through her tears, reaching her arms out in a hug. 

“If you want to stay the night here, you’re more than welcome to.”  Gladion said, placing a hand on my shoulder and rubbing Lillie’s back.  I shook my head and pulled away from the embrace, turning away from the siblings and running my hands through my hair, the weight of everything that just happened finally hitting me. 

“I just.. I just want to be alone for a while. I think I’m gonna go home, instead. I’ll come and check on you guys later…” I trailed off, fast-walking towards the elevator before I break out in a panic attack in front of them. 

“Moon, wait!”  Gladion yelled, running to catch up with me.  I was already descending on the elevator, however. 

I headed towards the dock, fully prepared to call Charizard, when Gladion finally did catch up to me as I was pulling out my ride pager.

“Moon!”  He yelled as he jogged up to me, breathing heavily.

“What?”  I asked, annoyed by the hold up. 

“It’s just.. I didn’t get to properly thank you like Lillie did.  I should have been there, instead of you.  But you were stronger, and Lillie needed you there to do what I couldn’t. You’re the strongest trainer in Alola, Moon..  And.. I just wanted to wish you good luck at the Pokémon League…”  He trailed off, taking a step closer to me.  Still annoyed, exhausted, tired, and confused by my feelings for the boy standing in front of me, I knew the only place where I would feel any better was at home.

“Thank you, Gladion.  I’ll be sure to win.  Don’t worry about me.”  I said, as I pushed the button to call Charizard.  Gladion and I made eye contact for an awkward few seconds before he sighed and looked at the ground.  _What was he waiting for?  Did he want something else?_ “I’ll see you around.  You know where to find me…”  I called as I climbed on the Charizard that had just arrived.    When I landed on Melemele, I zombie-walked to my front porch, fumbling in my bag for my keys, and trying my hardest to open the door as quietly as I could.  I walked through the dark house by memory before reaching my bedroom door, throwing my stuff on the ground, and crashing on my bed.  _It feels good to finally be back in my own bed_ , I thought, as I fell asleep after recalling the events of the past 48 hours in my head.

 

            I awoke to Meowth purring, curled up at my feet, the sun shining through my windows, and the Wingull and Pelipper squawking in the nearby bay.  Although I still felt weak, a deep sleep in my own bed and the comfort of my mother’s house were just the medicine that I needed. I hopped up and gave Meowth a head scratch before heading to the kitchen.  Mom was in the living room, surprised but delighted to see me. 

“Hi honey!  I’m so glad to see you home!”  She chirped, voice dripping with love.  I thanked Arceus for a mom like her and gave her a huge hug. 

“Mom, you don’t want to know the last few days that I’ve had.  I love you.” I said into her shirt, and she patted my hair. 

“My Moon, always so strong!  She can take anything the world throws at her.”  She cooed, still patting my hair. 

“I finished all of my trials!  Next stop, the Pokémon League.”  I said, looking up at her excitedly. 

“I am so proud of you, honey.  You’ll be the champion Alola always needed, I know it.” She consoled, wiping the tear that had formed at the corner of my eye. 

“Today, I just want to take it easy and rest before I deal with the world.”  I explained, hoping no one would try to call me or show up at the house today. 

“Let’s go get malasadas and coffee in Hau’oli, how does that sound?”  Mom asked, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. 

“That sounds amazing.  Let me go shower and get dressed, and then I’ll be ready.”  I offered, hopping up from the couch and sprinting to my bathroom.  The weather outside was beautiful, the bird Pokémon were singing, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky during the walk to the café in Hau’oli.  Mom and I sat and talked for hours, and I caught her up on all of my adventures.  A news report had begun on the TV in the café.  I only noticed it because they were filming right outside of the Aether Paradise.  My heart dropped.  It was about the events last night.  Tons of news crews were crowded at the entrance to the artificial island, and there were a bunch of employees blocking the doors, so they couldn’t get in.  How word got out to the media was beyond me. They explained everything in full detail, and even dropped the news that Gladion would be filling in as the acting president while Lusamine recovers.  _One of the employees probably got paid out to talk_ , I thought.  I wished with all my heart that Lillie and Gladion could tend to their mother in peace, without the world watching.  When they brought up my involvement in the mission, calling me the Savior of Alola, everyone in the restaurant turned to me, eyes wide.  I didn’t waste any time getting out of there, thankful that Mom was quick on her toes too.  We spent the rest of the day at home watching movies that didn’t involve any newscasts, watched the sunset, ate homecooked dinner and dessert, and I went to bed full and happy.  When I woke up the next day, I knew that play time was over and that it was time to get back to work.  I flew to Poni Island to train.  I spent the next week traveling back and forth between Poni and home, battling wild Pokémon and trainers all day and then sleeping hard all night.  When I finally determined that my Pokémon were leveled up enough, I decided that it was time to make the hike up to Mount Lanakila. Not far into my journey, I ran into a familiar face.

 

“I’ve been waiting for you.  I wanted to let you know that I finally cleared all of my trials and got my own Z-ring.  And, I’ve gotten stronger, and Null finally evolved, and I’ve been acting as president at the foundation, and it’s going good but it’s been really stressful, and we still don’t know what the situation with my mother is, and-“  He began rambling, but I cut him off by putting a finger to his lips.

“Let’s battle.  To take the stress off.  Show me just how strong you’ve gotten.”  I offered, noticing him blushing and blinking furiously before taking a few steps backward until there was enough space for a battlefield.  I grabbed a Pokeball and he shook his nervous energy off, grabbing his own Pokeball and sending out his Crobat before I could send out a Pokémon. 

“That’s fine with me.  Metagross, go!  Zen Headbutt!”  I shouted, sending out my trusted partner.  Surrounded by psychic energy, it collided into Gladion’s Crobat, causing it to fall immediately. 

“Damn, Moon.  You’re as strong as ever.  Can’t even get a move in before you work your magic.”  He scoffed, putting his hand over his eye and recalling his Pokémon. 

“That’s just how I battle.  You should’ve known that by now!”  I said smugly, crossing my arms.  He sent out his Weavile and I recalled Metagross, opting for Passimian. 

“Ice Shard, go!”  Gladion commanded, pointing out towards my Pokémon, as Gladion’s partner sent small chunks of ice at Passimian. 

“Stay strong!  Use Close Combat!”  I directed, and my Pokémon rushed to the target nearly as fast as lightning, followed by a series of quick, short jabs which made Weavile fall in just one hit. Gladion sent out his Lucario, and I let Passimian stay on the field.  Just when I began assuming this would be another clean sweep, Gladion started charging up a Z-move.  Powered up by the bond between him and Gladion, Lucario ran at full force towards my Pokémon, causing it to faint in just one hit. 

“Wow, you actually took one of my Pokémon out. I’m impressed.”  I expressed, both proud of him, and slightly aggravated that he was actually able to do it.  “Good luck with the next ones, though.”  I waved my annoyance off, sending out my Slowbro.  “Flamethrower, go!”  I shouted, as flames started spewing towards the other side of the battlefield.

“Aura Sphere!”  Gladion retaliated quickly, causing a huge explosion in the middle of the field. 

“Hmph.  Good one.. Now, try and beat this! Psychic!”  I yelled, and my Pokémon lifted the foe up into the air and then slammed it back on the ground, causing Lucario to faint once and for all.

“I should have known.  Even when I have speed over you, I’m still at a disadvantage.” The blond boy noted solemnly, pulling out his final Pokeball.  “This is for everything that we’ve been through, everything that we’ve witnessed! Silvally, reveal yourself!”  He roared, sending out his newly evolved Silvally. 

“No way…”  I whispered in awe.  “Slowbro, keep an eye out.  I have no idea what he’s got up his sleeve, kay?”  I guided my Pokémon, and it nodded, sizing up its opponent.  Silvally howled, the sound rumbling the earth around us. 

“Multi Attack, now!”  Gladion instructed, and Silvally came running for Slowbro with an aura of fire surrounding it. 

“Scald!”  I shouted, thinking quickly on my feet, and thankful that I had left Slowbro on the field to defend against the fire attack.  My Pokémon sent a steaming hot jet of water at the target, causing it to stop its attack, and doing substantial damage. 

“Use Crunch!”  Gladion shouted, trying to knock me off my guard. 

“Psychic!”  I shouted right back, making Slowbro stop Silvally right in its tracks.  “Scald, again!”  I insisted, and my Pokémon used the water move again, taking out Silvally and ending the battle. 

“Hmph.  You defeated me without even using a Z-move.  Of course you did, and I used all the power I had.”  Gladion said, shaking his head and putting his hands up in the air.  “You’ve got good Pokémon.  I know what kind of trainer you are now, and what kind of journey you’ve been through.” He explained, a light chuckle escaping his breath.  “I know we’re not exactly friends..  But we aren’t enemies anymore, either.  Keep winning. Maybe I’ll see you again if you do…” He stated, smiling a bright, beautiful beam of a smile over at me. 

“Gladion, we are friends.  Get over it.  And, was that a smile?  You should do that more often, you know.  It suits you.”  I teased, blushing and offering a high-five.  Blushing too, he took it, and then clasped his hand around mine and squeezed before walking away nonchalantly.  

“That boy is something else…” I giggled, shaking my head.

 

Continuing on through my treacherous hike up Mount Lanakila, I eventually came face to face with another friend.  Just when I thought I was in the clear to make it to the Pokémon League, he stopped me on my way. 

“Moon!  Hold up for me!”  A familiar voice called out from behind me.

“Hau?”  I whipped around to see my cheerful friend jogging up to me. 

“Hey!  So, after we split up at Aether Paradise, I went and cleared all the rest of my trials, and then I even went back home to train with Ilima a bit.  I was just thinking it was time to take on the Pokémon League..  Then I heard from Gladion that you were already heading here, so I booked it here as fast as I could, so I could try to catch up to you!  That was like, the fastest I’ve ever moved in my life, you know.. But.. that’s not what I came here to tell you.”  He stopped to place his hands on my shoulders.  “Moon, we’re gonna decide which one of us’ll be the first to the Pokemon League!  You’re gonna need to use your full force if you think you’re gonna beat me and my team when we’re serious about winning!”  He exclaimed, holding a fist up in the air. 

“Suit yourself then, Hau.  I’ve gotten a lot stronger, too.  I am _so_ looking forward to this.” I explicated assuredly, and we separated to make enough space for the battle. 

“Let’s do this, Moon!  No mercy!”  He shouted, and I began heating up, the excitement and anticipation for this battle really starting to vibrate between us. 

“This one’s for all the marbles, Hau!  The battle that was always meant to be!  I won’t go easy on you this time!”  I shouted, reaching for my first Pokeball. 

“Don’t you worry about me!  Go!  Raichu!” He shouted, his voice reverberating about the mountain as he sent out his first Pokémon.

“Lycanroc, let’s go!  Stealth Rock!”  I yelled back, and my Pokémon sent out sharp rocks towards the other side, securing the first move for me. 

“Focus Blast, now!”  He shouted, and Raichu sent the strong attack my way.  I knew I had to move quick, or this round would be over for Lycanroc. 

“Use Stone Edge to deflect!”  I shouted, and my partner shot the oncoming attack into the air with a giant stone that raised up from the ground, causing a huge explosion above, and preventing the move from doing any damage to my Pokémon.

“Now, use Stone Edge and jump on the rocks!”  I commanded, and my Lycanroc sent more giant stones up from the ground, this time running and leaping onto them, dodging Hau’s attacks. 

“Thunderbolt, over and over!”  Hau directed, clearly starting to get nervous. 

“Keep dodging and moving in!  Don’t let up!”  I guided, thankful for my Pokémon’s speed.  “Now, jump up and use Crunch!”  I shouted, pointing out towards Hau’s Raichu.  In one clean motion, Lycanroc made contact with Raichu, causing it to fall after just that one hit.  Hau was speechless.

“Moon…  The way you know your Pokémon is unparalleled..”  He said frankly, recalling his Alolan Raichu and sending out his Flareon.  “Use Baby Doll Eyes!”  He verbalized, and the foe charmed my Pokémon into lowering its attack. 

“You can defend all you want, but it’s not going to work!  Stone Edge, again!”  I directed as my partner used the move once again, which made the Flareon faint with no hesitation. 

“Hmm... Flareon, Return!  Komala, your turn!”  Hau growled, growing frustrated at his losses. 

“Lycanroc, come back!  Thanks for all of your hard work.  I owe you one.  Now, Passimian, you’re up!  Use Close Combat!”  I called, as my Pokémon headed for the foe, who was asleep, which didn’t even make this round much of a contest. 

“Tch.  I should’ve known you would have an answer to everything I throw at’chu.”  Hau chided, sending out his last Pokémon- his starter, Primarina.  I recalled Passimian, knowing that it wouldn’t be able to stand up much against a fairy-type. 

“That’s right!  That’s my strategy!  Metagross, let’s go!”  I shouted back at Hau, sending out my metal monster.

“Use Sparkling Aria!”  Hau voiced, his tone growing desperate, and his partner starting up a powerful water-type move.  

“Sandstorm, go!”  I requested, trying to break up the oncoming attack, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to defend much against it.  It worked a bit, as only some of Primarina’s attack was able to break through the sandstorm and hit Metagross, the dust tornado also slightly damaging the foe in the process. “Now, Metagross, hear my call!  Full power this time, Corkscrew Crash!”  I ordered, hitting the steel-type Z-pose, and my partner let out a roar, slamming into Hau’s starter Pokémon, causing it to faint.  I ran to hug Metagross, thanking it for the awesome Z-move, and offered a fist bump to Hau, who took it, even though he was clearly upset at his loss. 

“Oohf, and I really wanted my Pokémon to know how it feels to beat your team this time.  But, being seriously frustrated will only make me stronger.”  He said, looking fondly at his Primarina, petting its head. 

“Thanks for a great battle, Hau.  I mean it.”  I consoled, Recalling my Metagross and patting Primarina on the head as well. 

“So, you’d better go and become Champion, cause I’m gonna train so that next time I can come beat you in the Champion’s chamber. I’m really glad that the kid who moved here to Alola turned out to be you, Moon!”  He said, and I moved in for a hug. 

“Thank you, Hau. I plan to.”  I said, nodding, and looking up at my friend.  “And do me a favor, will you?  Go visit Lillie at Aether Paradise, please?”  I begged, knowing she would love to see him right about now. 

“Ah-oh!  Yeah, I think I will go visit her.”  He smiled back at me, not able to hide the blush that had crept its way onto his cheeks at the mention of Lillie.  “Now, go!” He cheered, pointing up at the giant building carved into the mountain just ahead of me.  We said goodbye, and I ran ahead towards my dream.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the Chapter - I see Fire by Ed Sheeran


	9. I had the Time of my Life Fighting Dragons with you

            As I walked up to the Pokémon League building, I was stopped by two ace trainers. 

“If you step into the Pokémon League, you won’t be able to leave again until you beat all of the Elite four, or are defeated in the process.  Will you attempt it, even knowing that?”  The two trainers said in unison. 

“Yes.  I’m ready.” I said stoically, nodding my head. 

“Then you may pass!  We wait to hear of your victory!”  They answered, again in unison. 

“Thanks..”  I nodded again as I went forth nervously.  When I went inside, I noticed Kukui standing in the middle of the room, looking like he was waiting for someone. 

“Hey there, Moon!  Whew, you’ve come a long way.  You’ve made it through all the Trials and Grand Trials that make up the Island Challenge!  Congratulations!”  He beamed, gesturing towards me. 

“Thanks, Professor.  It means a lot.”  I expressed my gratitude to him as I moved closer to his spot in the middle of the room.  

“Mount Lanakila is where we’ve always finished up the Island Challenge.  We built our Pokémon League right up here, as high into the heavens as we could get to show our respect for our legendary Pokémon and to honor it.  I still remember it like it was yesterday!  I went all the way to the Indigo Plateau, yeah, right to the Pokémon league headquarters, and then I went right at them, cousin!  Those gym leaders in Kanto really messed my team and me up!  But then I saw them battling for me through it all, pouring their souls into their moves for me.  And then that last guy, the dragon user in the cape...  Oh, sorry!  Enough about me, let’s get you out there in the ring!”  He cheered.  “I can’t help but remember when you first chose your starter.  Just one more thing left for you to do- take on the Pokémon league! This is where the real fun starts!” He praised, extending an arm towards the doors lining the back of the room.  “Four trainers!  Every Pokémon League in every region all over the world features four fantastic trainers called the Elite Four.  Here in Alola, too, we’ve got four trainers all lined up for our Pokémon League.”  He explained.  “You can challenge them in any order you see fit.. I’m not gonna tell you who’s in there, but you’ll be happy to see some familiar faces!  You’ll win your way past every last one of them. You can’t leave until you do.. Or until you give up.”  He continued describing the mechanisms of the room.

“Sounds good.. But tough.”  I nodded, looking at him apprehensively. 

“Your Pokémon can sense when their trainer is nervous.  Stay loose! You’re a great trainer in your own right.  You’re the Savior of Alola!  You’ll be fine!  I expect you to show me some intense moves and real heart-stopping battles in there. Good luck, Moon!”  He consoled, instilling some much needed confidence in me, and patting me on the shoulder. 

“Thank you again, Professor!  I needed that.”  I declared genuinely, wheeling around and heading for the first door on my left.  Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside, only to be greeted by my first familiar face. 

                           

“Ohoo!  So you chose to battle me first?  Old Hala is here to make you holler!  Your old Kahuna is now also a member of the Elite Four.  Well, this time I’m holding nothing back!  Time for you to see what I can really do!”  He shouted, his powerful voice echoing throughout the room. 

“Hala!  Hau didn’t tell me you would be here!  It’s so good to see you!”  I exclaimed, truly happy to see the old Kahuna.  “I’ve grown a lot since my first days as a trainer, so get ready!  Go, Metagross!”  I shouted, sending out my steel-type, and going into battle mode. Hala sent out his Hariyama, commanding it to use Fake Out, which made contact with my Pokémon, causing it to flinch. A bead of sweat dripping down my forehead, I tried not to let myself get nervous.  “That’s okay, just stay calm!  Use Zen Headbutt, go!”  I guided my Pokémon, wanting to let it know that it was okay that it got hurt. Metagross collided into the foe with a boost of psychic energy, causing it to fall in one sweep.  Hala sent out his next Pokémon, a Primeape, who was bouncing back and forth between both legs, ready to attack.  “Don’t let it move!  Zen Headbutt, again!”  I shouted, as my Pokémon crashed into the target once again, causing a one-hit KO. We both recalled our Pokémon, and he sent out his Poliwrath as I sent out my Decidueye. 

“You sure have gotten stronger, little one.  I almost feel as if I don’t stand a chance.. But that doesn’t mean I’m not letting up!”  The Kahuna bellowed, nodding in approval. 

“Decidueye, fly up, circle around, and use leaf blade!” I directed, and Hala’s Poliwrath didn’t know where to look.  My Pokémon sneakily moved in from behind, slicing the target with a sharp Leaf Blade, making it faint at once.  “Good job, Decidueye, return!”  I recalled my Pokémon.  “Metagross, it’s your turn, again!”  I called as Hala sent out his Crabominable.  “Use Meteor Mash, let’s go!”  I shouted, pointing out at the crab Pokémon.  Metagross slammed hard into Hala’s partner, and it was another clean sweep for me.  We both recalled our Pokémon again, and this time he sent out his Bewear, and I sent out my Ribombee.  “Ribombee, hear my call!  Full power attack!  Now, use Twinkle Tackle!”  I called out, hitting the fairy-type Z-pose, as my Pokémon attacked with all of its might, ending my first Elite Four battle with both a literal, and a metaphorical bang. 

“Wow, that wasn’t much of a match, was it?  I could feel the power you gained on your journey through Alola.  It is only when the balance of the old and the new is just right that you can create something truly original.  That is what I saw in the battle between us.  An elder’s experience and the fire of youth!  Thank you for an incredible battle, young Moon.  I am so impressed, and I know that the rest of my colleagues will be, too.  Off to the next chamber you go.”  He said, applauding me as I thanked him and headed out.  I gave Kukui a thumbs up as I headed for the chamber directly opposite Hala’s.   This time, it was a new face.

                           

“So, here you are.  Why don’t we see who the winds favor today?  You, or me?”  The silver-haired woman asked as I approached her spot at the other end of the room. 

“Hi, I’m Moon.”  I introduced myself to the Elite Four member, smiling politely.  

“Alola!  My name is Kahili.  A few years ago, I was a champion of the Island Challenge, too.  Just like you.  I’ve been traveling the world to improve my skill as both a trainer, and as a golfer.  When I heard they’d made a Pokémon League in my own home region, I came flying back to serve Alola.  Now, have a look at my fantastic flying-type team!”  She declared, sending out her Skarmory. 

“Slowbro, let’s go!  Use Flamethrower!”  I shouted, and a strong burst of fire blew out of my Pokémon’s mouth, causing substantial damage, but not quite knocking out the target.  “Ah.. Sturdy, huh?”  I asked, annoyed by one of my least favorite abilities on an opposing Pokémon.  

“That’s right!  Use Spikes!”  She called, and her partner sent out a slew of metal spears on the ground near my Pokémon.     

“Alright, use Flamethrower again!”  I called, and my Slowbro used the same move again, causing the Skarmory to fall this time.  Kahili recalled her first Pokémon and quickly sent out her second.  “Crobat, use Air Slash!”  She directed as her Pokémon brought a few quick, sharp gusts of wind towards my Pokémon with just the flap of its wings, causing some damage. 

“That’s fast.. Alright, Slowbro!  Use Psychic and stop it in its tracks!”  I commanded, pointing out at the target, as my Pokémon channeled its psychic energy into slamming the Crobat into the wall behind Kahili.  Gasping, she recalled it and sent out her Mandibuzz.  I recalled my Slowbro, thanking it for its strength, recommending that it gets a good rest for the upcoming battles.  “I’m impressed, Moon.  I knew you were strong, but I had no idea you would be this resourceful, too!” The older trainer praised kindly.

“Ribombee, go!”  I called, and sent out my fairy-type. 

“So, an air battle, then?  Then this’ll be good!  Alright Mandibuzz, ascend!”  She exclaimed, a huge grin on her face, as her bird Pokémon spread its huge wings and flew up.  Ribombee, after it!  Use Dazzling Gleam, but be cautious!”  I guided, my partner casting a pink beam of energy towards the target.  The target didn’t let up, however, and kept on flying high. 

“Keep picking up speed!  Use Brave Bird!”  Kahili called, and her Pokémon began to descend quickly, using that signature flying type move. 

 _She’s trying to end it right_ now, I realized, knowing that I had to act quick.  “Ribombee, get back here!”  I directed, and my bug Pokémon floated back to me.  “If you’re going for broke, then we will, too!”  I requested, charging up a Z-move.  “Ribombee, hear my call!  It’s time to use our full power!  Twinkle Tackle, let’s go!”  I shouted, my partner glowing with fairy energy.  The two Pokémon met in the air with a huge collision, leaving only my Ribombee still conscious, but just barely. 

“Well done, young trainer.  Mandibuzz, return!  Great job out there, my friend.  Toucannon, your turn!”  She called out, releasing her second-to-last Pokémon. 

“Ribombee, return!  Thank you so much for battling hard.  Lycanroc, you’re up!”  I shouted, sending out my trusted dog Pokémon. 

“Toucannon, use Supersonic Skystrike!  Full power!”  She called, using her Z-move right out of the gate.     

“No you don’t!  Stone edge, go!”  I called, hoping that my Lycanroc’s speed would let us move first.  It did, and Kahili’s Toucannon fell in one clean sweep. “Yes!  Good job, Lycanroc!”  I cheered, and my partner barked valiantly to rejoice.

“My last laugh...  Oricorio, it’s up to you!”  She called, fully aware that I was probably going to win.  “We’re still going to give it our all!” She shouted, and her Pokémon struck a dancer’s pose in defense of its trainer.  “Teeter Dance, now!” She commanded, and her partner did a dance, causing mine to become confused.  My Pokémon began to thrash in defiance, turning towards me in retaliation.  “Use Revelation Dance!”  Kahili called, and her fire-type collided into my rock-type. Lycanroc continued to thrash, which made my heart break a little. 

“Lycanroc!  Lycanroc.. It’s okay!  It’s me!”  I cried, kneeling down and reaching a hand out to my partner.  It looked at me with daggers for eyes, but I willed myself to maintain my stance.  “You’re okay, let’s win this battle and become the champion!”  I shouted, letting my Pokémon take a step closer to me and nuzzle its head in my hand.  Petting it, I stood up, and it turned around, howling wildly at the other Pokémon. “That’s right!  Use Stone Edge for the win!”  I yelled, and my Lycanroc caused huge boulders to erupt from the ground, catching the Oricorio off guard, making it faint from the collision.  I ran up to Lycanroc, sinking to my knees and hugging it around its neck.  “Thank you, for that.  You were amazing.”  I complimented, scratching the rock-type on its head.

“Moon..  It’s frustrating to me as a member of the Elite Four, but it seems your strength and your bond are the real deal.  You know, I think you’ll bring a breath of fresh air to the Alola battle scene.  I was honestly annoyed when Kukui kept pestering me to come here, but I’m glad I did.  Thank you so much for such a great battle.  I’ve never seen anyone battle with such passion and such precision.  I look forward to seeing you continue to grow.” She applauded, reaching out for a handshake.  I thanked her and headed through the portal to the main room, choosing to enter the chamber adjacent to Hala’s next, where another familiar face awaited me. 

                           

“Welcome to the Rock Chamber!”  Olivia shouted with poise as I entered her room.    

“Olivia!  It’s good to see you again!”  I exclaimed, excited to see Akala’s Kahuna once again.

“You too, Moon!  No introduction needed here.  Time to battle me!”  She insisted, sending out her Relicanth immediately. 

“Alright!  Decidueye, let’s go!  Leaf Blade!” I roared, and down Relicanth went. 

“You sure don’t miss a beat, do you?”  The older woman asked, recalling her dual-type and opting for her Midnight-form Lycanroc this time. 

“Never!  Decidueye, Leaf Blade, again!”  I commanded, and Olivia’s Pokemon was no match for Decidueye’s speed, falling in just an instant. 

“Hmph.  Such strength..  Carbink, you’re up!”  She yelled, sending out her rock and fairy-type. 

“Okay then, Decidueye, Return!  Thanks for battling hard.  Metagross, your turn!”  I shouted, sending out my steel-type.  “Meteor Mash, go!”  I directed as my Pokémon collided into the target, causing it to faint.  “Good job, Metagross!”  I thanked my friend, as Olivia sent out her Alolan Golem. 

“Meteor Mash, once more!”  I commanded, although this time Olivia’s Pokémon didn’t fall. “Ugh, Sturdy!  Gets me every time!”  I shook my head, frustrated. 

“Earthquake, go!”  The Kahuna shouted, causing the battlefield to shake vigorously. 

“Metagross, hold on!  You can do it!”  I shrieked, afraid that the super-effective move might take out my partner. Metagross roared valiantly and held on for me.  “Yes! Great work!  Now let’s use Meteor Mash once more!  Finish it!”  I guided, winning this round, just like all the others. 

“Moon, if you don’t become the Champion, I’m quitting! You’re unstoppable!  Probopass, I’m counting on you!”  She cheered, sending out her last Pokémon.  

“Metagross, return!”  Go!  Passimian!” I shouted, sending out my fighting-type. “Brutal Swing, then use Close Combat!” I directed, and the target Pokémon didn’t even get a chance to move before Passimian’s attacks hit, thus ending the battle.  I hugged my Pokémon, thanking it for it’s hard work and strength.      

“Really lovely.. Both you and your Pokémon.  I don’t see the same look in your eyes that I saw when we first met on Akala Island.  Have you had some experiences that you’ll carry with you in your heart forever?”  She asked, patting Passimian’s head while I nodded in response.  “Well… it’s time for you to move on.”  She guided me to the portal that would lead me to my last Elite Four battle.

“Thank you, Kahuna Oliva.”  I showed my appreciation, before leaving for the next chamber. 

 

“Hiya, Acerola here, bringing an old royal touch to the Pokémon League!  ..Oh! hey, Moon!”  The Trial Captain chirped excitedly.  

“Acerola!”  I gasped, running up to my friend and giving her a big hug.  “I can’t believe you’re here!”  I exclaimed, happy to see her again. 

“I’m happy to see you again!  I heard about everything that happened with Aether and Team Skull..  Thank you for your help again.  You are the Savior of Alola like everyone has been saying!”  She cheered, eyes squinting in delight.

“Thanks..”  I rubbed my arm awkwardly, beginning to step back to the other side of the battle field.

“Nanu said maybe he can’t refuse a Tapu choosing him to serve as Kahuna, but he’d be damned if he had to serve as one of the Elite Four just because some guy asked him!  So, I guess I’ll just have to battle hard enough to make up for his not being here!  Go, Sableye!” She shouted, sending her first Pokémon out in front of her.   

“Okay, then..  Ribombee, let’s go!”  I shouted back, opting for my fairy-type this time.  Acerola’s team was no match for mine, with Ribombee and Decidueye sweeping every single one of her Pokémon.        

“I’m.. I’m speechless!  How did you do it again?”  She caught her breath, recalling her last Pokémon.       

“I made sure I was really ready to challenge the league, and I trusted my team, that’s all.”  I said, waving my hand nonchalantly. 

“Phew!  Well there goes my hope of beating you to smithereens and becoming Champion myself!” She exhaled, stepping aside so I could pass through. 

“Thanks again!”  I called, racing back to the next room.  My heart beating out of my chest, I stepped onto the middle platform that would take me up to the Champion’s chamber.  _I can’t take it anymore.. I just need to get there already.._ I thought, the trek up the stairs feeling like forever.  When I reached the top, there was nobody in the Champion’s throne, so I took a seat. 

“Oh yeah, now you’re the Pokémon League Champion!” Boomed a familiar voice from the other side of the room.  “Wouldn’t it be nice if it was that simple?  The truth is, there’s one more person you have to battle if you want that title.”  Professor Kukui called.  “And of course that trainer is me!  One final hurrah for your island challenge..  And a special tribute as you and you and this Pokémon League embark on a new path!  Let’s have a battle worthy of this moment!  Go, Lycanroc!”  He shouted, sending out his Midday-form Lycanroc- the same type as mine. 

“Decidueye, let’s go!  This is it!”  I shouted back, sending out my trusted starter Pokémon.     

“Stealth Rock!”  The professor commanded, his partner directing pointed stones at my side of the battlefield.  _The only other time I’ve ever seen him this serious was when he was dressing up as the Masked Royal_ , I thought. 

“Fly up and then use Leaf Blade!”  I directed, my Pokémon obeying, causing the target to fall.      

“Ninetailes, let’s go!”  Kukui shouted, recalling his rock-type and sending out the Alolan form. 

“Decidueye, return!  Metagross, you’re up!  Use Meteor Mash!”  I commanded, my steel-type colliding with the target, making it faint at once.  “Ha, I never get tired of that move!”  I praised, as Kukui sent out his Braviary. 

“Metagross, great job!  Lycanroc, it’s your turn!  Use Stone Edge!”  I yelled as my partner attacked the target with pointed boulders, causing it to fall. The rest of Kukui’s Pokémon fell in one-hit-KO’s as well, his team truly proving to be no match for mine.     

“I couldn’t even win even though I went all out.. But what a refreshing feeling!  Whew!”  The older man exhaled.  “Amazing!  It’s like I told you before, the strongest moves you can use are the ones a trainer and their Pokémon choose together in the heat of the moment- when it really counts. Congrats, cousin.  You’re a champion we can all be proud of.  It’s time you entered the Hall of Fame.”  He suggested, leading us into the secret room beyond the Champion’s chamber. 

“Moon, thank you for this.  My dream is for the whole world to know how awesome the trainers here in Alola really are, and you have helped me to realize that.  All thanks to you, my dream is finally coming true. I’m so happy I got to battle you and your team here, right where my dreams came true, too!”  The professor explained gratefully. 

“And thank you, Kukui, for everything you have done to help me on my journey.”  I thanked him in return, shaking his hand. 

“First-ever Champion of the Alola Pokémon League! It’s time we record you and your beloved team’s achievement for eternity!”  He cheered, as I placed my Pokeballs into the Hall of Fame machine, locking in their information forever. 

“Congratulations, Champion.  I _maaay_ have made a few calls after you first arrived at the League.  Let’s bust a U-Turn for Melemele Island!  We’re gonna have a big festival in Iki Town!”  He explained, and my face grew bright red.

“Oh- professor, I..”  I managed, before he cut me off. 

“Don’t worry, I was sure to let Lillie know, too. You can meet her at your house to freshen up.”  He advised, and I sighed in relief. 

“Oh, thank Arceus.  I do not want to go like this.  I crawled through a cave to get here this morning!”  I laughed as we walked outside.

“I’ll see you in a few hours, Champion!”  Kukui laughed with me, before the both of us went our separate ways.          

 

            When I arrived at my house, my mother and Lillie were waiting with open arms. 

“Congrats, honey!  I knew you would do it!  My daughter, the Champion!”  She exclaimed, enveloping me in a hug. 

“Thanks, Mom!  I definitely did my best out there..”  I said, imitating Hau’s signature pose. 

“Congratulations, Moon!  I am so proud to call you my friend!”  Lillie cheered, squeezing me tight. 

“Thanks, Lil.  Any thank you for being here!  I definitely could use the help getting ready for the festival..  Will you help me pick out something to wear?”  I mused, and Lillie went to work, looking through my closet and makeup drawer while I showered. 

“I invited my brother.”  Lillie said, dropping the bomb as I came out of the shower. I couldn’t even try to cover up the harsh red color that my cheeks had turned at the sound of his name. 

“Your brother?  Why?”  I asked, attempting, yet failing miserably, to act indifferent.

“I’m not sure if he’ll come, but..  I just thought he should be there, since he helped you on your journey to becoming Champion and all.. Plus, I know you like him.” She explained, matter-of-factly, handing me a pair of jeans. 

“Like him?  I do not _like_ him!  I don’t even- I mean.. what?!”  I blurted, giggling like a madman, brushing out my hair.      

“ _And_ , you should’ve seen how quickly he tried to catch up to you at Mount Lanakila once he found out that you were heading there.  He practically _flew._ ” She added, holding a blouse up to my shoulders.

“He just wanted to beat me, that’s all.  Hau did the same thing!”  I defended, pulling an eyeshadow palette out from my desk. 

“Hau doesn’t fix his hair and make sure he smells good before going to meet up with you, though.  There’s a difference there.  _He_ knows you won’t care either way.”  She continued to pester me, handing me a different top. 

“I mean, you know Gladion..  He’s just a perfectionist.  And I do _not_ like him like that.  He’s your brother!”  I rationalized, grabbing a few makeup brushes and arranging them on the tabletop. 

“Whatever, Moon.  Whenever you guys finally decide to admit your feelings, just promise you’ll give me a call so I can say, “I told you so!””  Lillie chided, closing up my closet door.       

After finally deciding on a lavender halter top, ripped dark wash jeans, and beige sandals, Lillie flat ironed my hair while I did my makeup.   

“Lillie, it’s so nice to be able to hang out with you like this, without all of the saving the world stuff in the way.”  I noted, thankful for the bonding time with my friend. 

“I.. Yeah, I agree..  It.. hasn’t been easy, but I’m really glad that you came to Alola! Getting to meet you- to travel with you..  I’m so glad that I got to be a part of that journey!”  She cried, eyes watering, nearly threatening to leak with tears. 

“Lillie, what’s wrong?  I’m glad you did too..”  I said, comforting her. 

“Nothing,  it’s nothing!”  She shook her head.

“Let’s head to the festival, girls!  Are you ready?”  My mom called, and we headed to Iki Town. 

 

            We could hear the music booming before we even reached the town.  When we got there, I was shocked at how many people were there.  So many of my friends had shown up- the Trial Captains, the Kahunas and the Elite Four, Kukui, Burnet, and Hau, and of course Lillie and my mother.  The entire town of Iki had come out, as well. 

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?  All these people are here to celebrate your achievement!” Lillie said, looking over at me.   

“Yeah…”  I sighed, feigning excitement.  _All except for one, that is_ , I thought, looking around.

“Everyone looks so happy… The adults, the children, even the Pokémon!”  Lillie cheered, running ahead to chat with Acerola and Hapu.  Just then, Kukui went on the battle stage toting a microphone, his voice booming over the loudspeaker.

“Look at this!  Everyone’s so fired up.  Woo! We’ve got the birth of Alola’s strongest ever trainer to celebrate, after all.  Drink up, everyone!”  Kukui exclaimed, raising a glass into the air.  “Moon- Sorry! I mean, Champion!  Here’s to our Champion, the Savior of Alola!  I’m sure everyone wants to see the team that you worked so hard with over the past few months.  Bring ‘em on out!”  He cheered along with everyone else who joined in.  _Someone definitely has had a little too much to drink_ , I thought, rolling my eyes and sending out my team. Since everyone was crowding around my Pokémon, I let them stay out to play and have fun.  They deserved it, after all. 

“Moon!  I’m gonna keep training with Ilima for a while, and then I’m gonna beat my gramps for real at last!  And _then,_ I’m coming for your Champion title!” Hau explained, coming up to me and playfully slapping my shoulder. 

“Whatever you say, Hau.”  I teased, rolling my eyes once again and nudging him in the elbow. When I turned my head to look at the sunset, I swore I saw a flash of blonde hair behind the trees.  _No_.. _It couldn’t be.. It’s just my mind playing tricks on me,_ I speculated, dismissing my thoughts. 

“Hey, Moon..  It looks like the party is still going to keep on going on for some time still, wouldn’t you say?  Do you think that.. Maybe we could sneak out to the Ruins of Conflict?  I heard from Kahuna Hala that the bridge has been fixed..” Lillie explained, rubbing her arm and looking at me expectantly.  _There’s that flash of platinum blonde again.. It’s got to be!_

“Yeah..  I’m sorry, but.. Can we wait a few minutes, though?  There’s something that I need to do first.”  I explained, striding past her and heading for the tree line.  I could feel the eyes of every party guest on me now, but I didn’t care.  As far as I was concerned, this was just another trial.  Growing closer, he finally stepped out from behind the tree line. I began to jog up to him, both of our faces red as cheri berries.  The whole world moving in slow motion, I fell into his arms, embracing for what seemed like an eternity. In that moment, it was just the two of us, arms around each other and my face buried in his neck. 

“What are you doing here?”  I asked, not wanting to move from our position. 

“Lillie invited me…”  He managed, stating the obvious.

“No, I know that!  I mean, why are you hiding?”  I tried again, this time looking up at him. 

“Well..  I didn’t know if anyone would want me around, since I was involved with Team Skull and all…” He trailed off, looking at the ground andtwisting his lips apprehensively.

“Gladion, _I_ want you here.  If anyone has a problem with that, then they can talk to me.”  I relayed confidently, looking into his green eyes.

“Well, I can’t stay anyway.. I’ve got work to do at Aether.  I just wanted to..  See you.. And say sorry for being abrupt when we met up at Lanakila.”  He explained, looking nervous and blushing hard. 

“That’s okay..  I’m sorry for doing the same thing the night after the Ultra Space incident..”  I apologized, not wanting either of us to relive the anxiety that we had experienced that night. 

“Come visit Aether sometime, okay?  It’s a lot nicer now that it’s been cleaned up a bit.” He requested, and I nodded my head, smiling brightly at him. 

“Okay, president.  I’m sure we have a lot of business to discuss, with my new.. Job title and all.”  I taunted, smiling up at him, raising an eyebrow. 

“Right, Champion, I’ll see you at the meeting on Monday, then.  8 AM sharp!” He joked, saluting me with a smirk, before sauntering off.  I found Lillie after he left, to tell her that I was ready to go to the ruins with her. 

 

“I think Tapu Koko must be waiting for you, now that you’ve finished your Island Challenge.”  Lillie contemplated while we walked away from the festival.  

“Now this really takes me back.. Back then I could barely think about anything.  I was so desperate, so scared of everything… But thinking back on it now, I mean, it really was Nebby who brought the two of us together, wasn’t it?”  Lillie asked, stepping over the bridge as the two of us reminisced. 

“I still wonder why Tapu Koko helped us that day... Was it because of some connection to Solgaleo?  Why was I hand-picked?  I wanna know, so badly.”  I asked my friend as we entered the ruins. 

“My heart is pounding in my chest.  Is it because of the sacred guardian?  Is Tapu Koko here with us?”  Lillie asked, tracing the outlines of the Tapu’s shrine. Just then, Tapu Koko appeared out of nowhere, shocking us both, and knocking Lillie back a few feet. 

“Great Tapu Koko!”  Lillie gasped.  “It was because of your help that Cosmog lived and was able to become Solgaleo. Please allow me to thank you on its behalf.  Thank you so, very much!”  Lillie exclaimed, her hands forming a praying motion in front of her face. 

“Tapu Koko, why did you choose me?  What made me so special, that you hand-picked me to become your Champion?  Was it because you knew that I would stand by my friends and my Pokémon, no matter what?”  I asked it, reaching a hand out to touch its forehead. 

“Moon, I think it wants to battle you!  Show it your appreciation in the only way Alola’s Champion could!  I know you can do this!”  She pointed out, and we raced down the stairs, while the Tapu slowly floated into place.  I battled it hard, winning in the end, albeit struggling a little bit.  I didn’t necessarily want to hurt it, although I did toy with the idea of catching it.  I ended up dismissing that notion in the end, as I knew that the Pokémon had to stay here to perform its duty as Melemele’s guardian.  After the battle, Tapu Koko disappeared as quickly as it had come. 

“Moon, I’m so glad we could come here.  It had been weighing on my heart.”  Lillie sighed, letting her feelings out in the open. 

“I’m glad we did, too.”  I assured my friend, and we headed out of the ruins. 

“Come on, Moon.  We should get back to the village.”  Lillie suggested, and we headed back to Iki Town. 

“Everyone looks like they are having so much fun- I don’t think they even noticed that we left…. It’s a beautiful festival, isn’t it? Everyone truly looks so happy..” Lillie pointed out, sounding worried. “I hope that you’ll always stay just the way you are now- look how your joy has brought so much light to everyone here…”  Lillie began, tears started to well up.  “I think even my mother would have smiled and laughed if she saw this..  If she could have come.”  Lillie trailed off, wiping an eye. 

“Lillie, how is she doing?  You never told me…”  I asked her, growing concerned for my friend. 

“I think.. My mother is getting a bit better.. She even tried to come tonight..” Lillie explained, wiping more tears this time. 

“She did?!”  I asked, surprised that Lusamine would show any interest at all in coming to something like this. 

“Yeah, but I’ve been trying to help her understand what she did wrong, gently, of course… She needed someone to tell her.” Lillie continued, and I nodded, letting he go on.  “But, in the process, I think I’ve discovered what I have to do next.  What it is that I can do…  Moon, I… I am going to-“  Lillie managed, before fireworks began going off, drowning out whatever it was she said next. 

“WHAT?”  I asked, trying to speak over the noise. 

“NOTHING..  I’LL… TELL YOU LATER.”  Lillie yelled over the noise this time, and I nodded.  We drifted away for the remainder of the party, mingling, drinking with everyone into the wee hours of the night.  It was a party to remember, and through my tipsy haze I remember Hau asking Kukui if we could make this an annual thing to celebrate my victory, before stumbling home with my mother and crashing into my mattress. 

 

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Jingle_

_Creakkkk_

            I awoke with a start, my head pounding from the events of the night before, and Hau yelling from the other room, not really helping my situation.

“Oh, Auntie!  I’m sorry.  It’s a disaster!”  I could just barely make out, the walls muffling the sounds.  _Why would Hau, of all people, be yelling?_ I thought, as I stepped into the great room to see what all of the commotion was about.   

“Moon!!  I’ll explain later, but..  But, you have to come with me right now!  If we don’t hurry, the ship is gonna leave!”  He yelled frantically, grabbing my hand and pulling me all the way to Hau’oli city. 

“Hau, what’s going on?”  I asked, irritated that he pulled me out of the house like that, just now realizing that I was still in my clothes from the night before. 

“Just come on!”  He insisted as we neared the marina. 

“Do you at least have a mint or something?  Or a hair brush, by chance?”  I asked, trying to smooth out my bedhead.

“Here.  Have some gum.  Now, hurry! It’s Lillie!”  He explained, causing me to go into panic mode. 

“Lillie?! What’s wrong?  What happened?  Is she hurt? Where is she going?”  I demanded, trying to put all of the pieces together in my head as we walked.  Everything she said to me yesterday running through my head -her thanking me for the journey, how she hopes that I’ll stay the same, to give her a call if Gladion and I ever admit our feelings…  _How did I not realize this sooner?_   I thought, mentally facepalming as we approached the harbor.  There she was, standing with Professor Kukui, at the end, near a huge ferry. 

“Lillie!!”  Hau called, racing up to her, and I followed.  “Why didn’t you tell us?”  He asked, his heart breaking into pieces, one by one.

“Hau… I’m sorry, but I’ve decided.  I have to go to Kanto, to help my mother get better. There’s a Pokémon researcher there named Bill, who says that he can help us.  But, for me, it’s more than that, too.  I have to get stronger.  I’m going to become a real trainer and meet all kinds of amazing Pokémon.  I’m going to travel all around Kanto, just like we did here on Alola for your Island Challenges!”  She exclaimed, a single tear dripping down her cheek.

“But.. but, I haven’t gotten to say all of the things that I wanted to say to you!  So.. Ugh!”  Hau cried out in frustration.  “I’m gonna send you a letter!  A really, really long one, so you’d better wait!  Hau continued, shaking a finger at Lillie.  

“I will!  And, of course I’m sad to leave Alola, but the thought of going to Kanto also fills my heart with excitement!  It’s something that I need to do, and no matter what happens on my journey, I’m going to be okay, because of the smiles and experiences that you all have shared with me… Thank you all so much!”  She squeaked, the tears really flowing now. 

“Lillie..  I don’t know what to say…”  I trailed off, trying to muster up the right words to say goodbye with.  “I have grown so much because of you, and we’ve learned and shared so much with each other.  I- I don’t know what I’m going to do without my best friend here…”  I began, without knowing the endpoint. “Hey, I grew up in Kanto, you know. I’ll have to tell you all the best places to visit!  Maybe I can even come visit sometime!”  I suggested, looking at Kukui for approval, who simply nodded, eyes closed and smiling. “And, I expect weekly video chats with the three of us!”  I asserted, looking at both Hau and Lillie.      

“And _Gladionnn_!”  Lillie sang, poking me in the cheek, which had taken on a new shade of pink, as I smiled embarrassedly.  “Don’t worry, you guys.  I’ll come back some day!”  Lillie cheered, turning around to head onto the boat.  “Well, then I suppose… This is goodbye..”  Lillie turned around, waving her farewell toward us, as we waved back, all of us crying a mixture of happy and sad tears. 

“Don’t let the jet lag hit you too hard!  You’re always welcome at our house!”  Kukui called after her, wrapping his arms around our shoulders. 

“Well, let’s all go home.  We’ve got people waiting for us.  Our families are waiting for us!  We can’t dwell on the past for too long.  We’ve got so many more adventures to look forward to!”  The professor advised wisely to try to get us out of our slump.  His message did cheer me up a little.  _I’m the Champion now, so I’ve got to train to get stronger with my team!_   _I’ve got a title to defend!_   I thought, as I marched on, looking forward to a whole new journey. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the chapter - Long Live by Taylor Swift.
> 
> Sorry for the overload of Taylor Swift and Imagine Dragons songs, but they really go so well with the story. Expect more in the sequel (sorry again!). Thank you so much for reading thus far, and I promise to start working on the next iteration of the story ASAP. Keep checking back because I already have so many ideas!


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